Star of Hope
by Lady Artimes Blaine
Summary: A woman from another world appears in Bodhum, years before the Purge. With her, comes a chance of changing the future. How will her presence in the course of events alter the fates of the soon-to-be cursed l'Cie? Will she save Cocoon or will she cause the destruction of time itself? (slight Hope/OC)
1. Prologue: Altered Fate

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome to my brand new Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_. This is the first time I have done a story with such an established plot line, but I finally found how to add my character but still keep the epicness of the original story line.

This is just a prologue, kind of like a monologue really. The speaker is Vanille. It's like how she sometimes narrates during the cinematic scenes. Call it an ice breaker if you will. Also Chapter One will be a bit odd because I'm trying a new way for an original character to enter the universe. It will seem a little weird and maybe a little choppy, but it was the best way I could think of to add in my OC.

One final piece of business. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2…or anything Final Fantasy related. Also I do not own anything else I make references to. I only own my OC and my own plot woven into the story line.

Okay, I think that covers everything. Now on with the show!

* * *

Prologue: Altered Fate

* * *

'It's strange…how far we have all come and how much we have endured on our journey together. There were so many times that we wanted to give up, both as a group and as individuals, but she wouldn't let us. She refused to give up, no matter how hard things got. Even when everything and everyone was against us, she stood strong and fought back.

I wonder if things would have been different if I had had that kind of strength back when Fang and I first became l'Cie. Would anything have changed? Would we not be here now? Would so many terrible things not have happened? Would Fang and I still be inside our crystal stasis, dreaming of the day we would wake again?

I try not to think about what happened in the past. She always scolds me for living in my memories instead of focusing on the here and now. She says that if we focus too much on the past than we will never live in the present. She said that Snow taught her that. I wonder what else she has learned from us. I honestly don't know because she always seems to be teaching us in some way or form.

She is always so kind, always helping us. She guides us through the darkness…the darkness of the uncertain future ahead of us, the darkness of the past that threatens to drown us in sorrow, and of the darkness of our very own hearts that try to sink us into despair. She shines like a star on a moonless night, a beacon of hope…that things will get better if we simply keep forging ahead. That we don't give in to doubts and fears.

Still, I worry about her. The others do too. Throughout our long journey, we learned more about ourselves, our brands, and the fal'Cie, but we haven't learned anything about her brand. It's different from ours. Hers is like an unfinished star. The more time that passes by the more points that are added to the star. Sometimes it glows, particularly when she is around Hope or if she is feeling a very strong emotion.

I know that the others are scared that she'll transform into Cie'th…that we'll lose our guiding star, our dear friend. For some reason, she isn't very worried about it. She says that she's different and that the same rules don't apply to her like they would with a normal l'Cie. We all know she's different, but it doesn't make us any less worried or any less scared of what might happen to her.

She comes from another dimension, a world that is parallel to our own. In that world, we were just characters in an elaborate game, but she never treated us like we were not real. She treated us like people…people with real feelings, real fears, and real dreams.

Dreams…that was how we all knew her…even before she came to our world. Serah, Lightning, Snow, Sazh, and Hope…they all dreamed about her while they slept. Even Fang and I while we were in crystal stasis, we dreamed about her too. We all believed that she was real and that she needed help. She needed to be protected; from PSICOM, from the Sanctum, from the fal'Cie, even from herself sometimes.

She would always become frustrated because she couldn't remember how the story ended, how her memories would unlock over time and only when she truly needed them. It hurt that I couldn't help her remember because it meant so much to her, but secretly, I'm glad she couldn't remember how it all ended. I didn't want her to carry that burden all by herself and she would…just to protect us from what lay in the future.

The end was coming…I could tell. We all could, but we didn't say anything...for her sake. She's becoming more and more quiet as we walk and her eyes are becoming heavier and heavier with sorrow. We're close now…close to the end…the Final Chapter. I wonder what is waiting for us at the end of this long journey. Will we die? Will we become Cie'th? Will we fulfill our focus and turn to crystal? Or will we succeed in defying our cursed fate and build a new dream?

Dreams…one dream shared among many altered fate. Perhaps our combined dream will alter not only our destiny, but the destiny of our Artz as well.'

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for the opening debut for _Star of Hope_! I know it was weird, but the next chapter will be just as weird…if not weirder. Leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter One: Worlds Collide! Stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 1: Worlds Collide

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to _Star of Hope_! I went ahead and got started on this chapter despite it being so late here. I wanted to try and get the chapter sorted out. The flow is a bit awkward in my head, but it should smooth out as I type it.

Many thanks and much love to all those who have faved and followed this story and all my other ones as well! I would have said reviewed, but there are no reviews for this story. *cries*

* * *

Now just a reminder, Artz shows up before the Purge by several years. The reason for this is to develop her friendships with the other characters with the exception of Vanille and Fang, who don't show up until thirteen days prior to the Purge.

Artz will know all the other l'Cie in some way, shape or form. She'll be friends with Nora, Hope's mother and Hope himself. Same applies to Sazh and his still infant son, Dajh. Artz will be best friends with Snow and as for Serah and Lightning…that's a spoiler.

So it will take few chapters to get into the main story line. I don't want to rush it like I have done with some of my other stories. I'm gonna take my time and do it properly. I want to do justice to the epic story line of Final Fantasy XIII.

* * *

Okay, one final note. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or XIII-2 or anything else I make references to.

That's enough of my incessant chin wagging. Now on with the show!

* * *

Chapter One: Worlds Collide

* * *

Two sisters prepared for bed. The elder sibling was Lightning, no last name. She was a member of the Guardian Corps and wielder of the gun blade and mana drive. The younger sibling was Serah Farron who aspired to become an elementary school teacher. Both sisters could not be more different from one another, but they still loved and protected each another as only sisters could.

"Good night, Light!" Serah called from down the hall.

"Good night, Serah." Lightning called back.

The two went to their respective beds and waited for sleep to claim them.

* * *

Across town and on the beach's front, a young man with blonde hair got ready for bed. His name was Snow Villiers. He was the leader of an odd group called NORA; No Obligations, Rules or Authority. They helped to protect the seaside town of Bodhum and even operated a beach bar called NORA House.

The four other members of NORA were Gadot, a rather large and muscular man, Yuj, a fashion conscious individual, Maqui, a tech expert and inventor, and Lebreau, a woman who was considered to be the best cook in Bodhum. Together, alongside their leader, they keep the peaceful seaside town safe from monsters that tried to wander in from the surrounding areas and unscrupulous characters who wished the citizens of Bodhum harm.

Snow waved to his friends as they called out their good nights to him. He shrugged out of silver coat and his shirt and collapsed on his bed, barely remembering to kick off his boots. He was asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

* * *

Further into Bodhum's residential center, a dark skinned man with an afro tried desperately to get his infant son to go to sleep. The boy's mother had to work a late shift and that left him with nursery duty. The man was Sazh Katzroy, a fairly decent pilot, and his son was named Dajh.

"Come on, Dajh. Give your old man a break. I'm tired too, ya know." Sazh pleaded rocking the fussing baby.

The still new father knew better than to try and sing his son a lullaby. He was a terrible singer and he still remembered how Dajh had screamed at his last attempt. Not a mistake he would be making again anytime soon, if at all. An idea occurred to him and he sat down in the living room and turned on the television. He flipped over to the chocobo oriented channel.

"Look, Dajh. Chocobos." Sazh stated turning his son so he could see the screen.

The boy gurgled happily, his eyes wide as he stared at the screen. Sazh leaned back and closed his eyes, relieved that his son was no longer being fussy. Within minutes, the dark skinned man fell asleep, his son still watching the screen with avid curiosity and intense fascination.

* * *

In the distant city of Pallumpolum, a young boy with silver white hair and bright eyes climbed into his bed, grabbing his stuffed chocobo. His mother, a beautiful woman who shared the same colored hair as her son, laughed at his exuberant behavior. She was Nora Estheim and her son's name was Hope.

"Time for bed, little one." She stated pulling back the covers.

He crawled over to her and held up his stuffed chocobo.

"Does he have to, pretty lady? Can't he play with me first?" Hope asked pretending that the chocobo was talking instead of him.

"I'm sorry, Mister Cho Cho, but bed time is bed time. Little boys need their sleep and so do chocobos." Nora answered an amused expression on her face.

Her son pouted, not wanting to go to bed.

"But Mommy…" He whined.

"No buts, mister." She replied sternly.

Hope gave up trying to convince her to let him stay up. He knew by now when his mother's mind was made up and there was no changing it.

"Yes, Mommy." The boy conceded crawling under the covers and lying down.

Nora smiled at her son as she covered him with the blankets, making certain that the stuffed chocobo was under the covers with him. She leaned down and kissed his head.

"I love you, Mommy." Hope stated softly, letting out a small yawn.

His mother's eyes softened with love, a gentle smile on her face.

"I love you too, my Hope." She said softly.

She stood up and turned off the lamp next to his bed. She walked across the room, glancing back as she reached the door. She chuckled inaudibly when her son buried his head into the stuffed chocobo's back.

"Night night, Cho Cho." The boy mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes.

Hope fell asleep after a few moments. Nora left the room, assured that her son would sleep through the night and not wander off somewhere.

* * *

 _A woman with dark red hair woven into a single braid and with eyes of sapphire blue stood in front of some sort of throne. The throne itself seemed to be fashioned out of some kind of crystal. There was someone in front of her, but they were enshrouded a luminescent mist._

" _Who are you? More to the point, where am I? What is this place?" She demanded.  
_

* * *

Serah turned onto her side, her light pink falling into her face.

* * *

 _The luminescent mist shimmered slightly._

" _You know who I am and you know where you are. Don't you?" The mist answered softly._

* * *

Lightning's hand twitched towards her gun blade lying on the side table, feeling the need to protect the ginger from whatever was in the mist.

* * *

" _If I had to wager a guess, you would the Goddess known as Etro and t_ _his place looks like The Void Beyond from the game Final Fantasy XIII-2. It was also said to be a shadow of Valhalla." The red head stated._

" _Correct." The mist replied._

" _Why am I here? What do you want with me?" The ginger demanded her eyes hard with determination._

* * *

Snow's hand balled into a fist, his instincts telling him that the woman was in danger and that he needed to help her.

* * *

" _I hear many pleas from many worlds. They're so loud. Some are even screaming. I heard you. Your plea…it was so quiet like the barest of whispers. It called to me, so I summoned you to this place." The mist answered calmly._

" _Why?" The red head asked._

* * *

Sazh's head rolled to the side as his grip tightened slightly on his son, causing the boy to look up at him for a moment before returning his attention to the chocobos on the screen.

* * *

" _I learned something when I brought you here. You are wrong." The mist answered softly._

" _What?" The ginger asked confused by that statement, "What do you mean 'wrong'?"_

* * *

Hope whimpered quietly, pulling the stuffed chocobo closer to his body.

"Please don't hurt the pretty lady." He said softly, sniffling slightly as tears began to form underneath his closed eye lids, "Please don't make her sad."

* * *

" _Your soul does not belong to the world you were born in. You were not meant to be born in that world. That is why your life seemed so harsh and cruel. The people around you sensed that you were wrong, that you did not belong in their world and treated you terribly because of it." The mist answered it's tone laced with sadness._

 _Tears began to build in the ginger's eyes, pain swimming in those sapphire depths._

" _I'm wrong." She whispered her hand clutching the front of shirt._

* * *

Serah curled into a ball, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"You're not wrong. You're not. I know you're not." She whispered her voice cracking slightly.

* * *

" _All is not lost, Artz." The mist stated._

 _The crimson haired woman, now identified as Artz, looked up at the luminescent mist, surprise etched on her face._

" _What do you mean?" She asked releasing her grip on her shirt._

* * *

Lightning's hand touched the hilt of her gun blade.

"Tread carefully, Artz." She whispered her fingers wrapping around the hilt, "Don't let your guard down."

* * *

" _You belong in my world. The world you have seen in Final Fantasy XIII." The mist answered._

" _Are the events of the game…will they happen or are they already happening?" Artz asked worry flickering in her blue orbs._

* * *

Sazh shifted his back to lay down further on the couch, barely disturbing his son.

"What events and why are you so worried, Artz?" He mumbled in his sleep, "What's gonna happen? Why does it scare you?"

* * *

" _They have yet to occur and will not for some time." The mist answered honestly._

" _That aside. What do you want with me? Tell me!" The ginger demanded getting fed up with the whole twenty questions routine._

* * *

Hope was crying, his heart aching.

"Stop it. Stop making her so mad. She's pretty like Mommy. She should be smiling." The boy cried in his sleep, the tears continuing to flow down his cheeks with no sign of stopping.

* * *

 _The mist did not answer for a few moments, simply shimmering in and out._

" _Answer me!" The red head demanded._

* * *

Snow grunted, his muscles tightening in preparation for a fight.

"Why won't you answer?" He growled out, both hands now balled into fists.

* * *

" _The events of your game is the best possible outcome, but my world is slowly shifting to a darker path. If it continues then all will be destroyed." The mist finally answered._

" _What does that have to do with me?" Artz asked taking a step forward, her tone hard and slightly cold from her anger._

* * *

Deep within in the ruins near Bodhum, two crystalline figures slept, their dreams intersecting and harmonizing with the others who were dreaming of the mysterious red head and the confounding mist.

* * *

" _I will give you my power and you will come to my world to correct the timeline. You will mend the rifts making the path darken and become unstable." The mist answered._

" _What? I don't get a choice in this?" The ginger snapped not too happy about someone or something trying to dictate her actions._

* * *

"That's not fair." Serah whispered rolling onto her back.

* * *

Lightning withdrew the gun blade from its holster.

"Every person has a right to decide their own fate." She stated bringing the gun blade to her chest.

* * *

Snow's face contorted into anger.

"You can't make her do something she doesn't want to do." He growled out.

* * *

"It's her life. She has to choose for herself." Sazh mumbled his face falling into a deep frown.

* * *

Hope clutched the stuffed chocobo in a vice grip.

"I won't let you hurt her. Leave her alone." He half whispered, half shouted.

* * *

The two crystalline figures whispered in their minds.

"Give her the choice." They whispered together.

* * *

" _You do have a choice. You may return to the world you born in and live the life of an outsider, never truly belonging or you can come to my world and do something worthwhile, something that no one but you can do." The mist offered._

" _And what exactly is that?" Artz asked crossing her arms._

" _You will guide them, protect them, save them. You will save them all." The mist answered softly, "What say you?"_

* * *

Serah, Lightning, Snow, Hope, Sazh, and the two crystalline sleepers waited for her answer, a quiet stillness overtaking them all.

* * *

 _The crimson haired woman looked straight at the figure enshrouded in the luminescent mist, her sapphire eyes blazing with determination and resolve._

" _Yes." Artz answered, "I'll go to your world and make it my own. I will save them."_

* * *

Serah bolted upright, her eyes flying open. Her breathing was heavy and ragged.

"She's coming. Oh my god, she's coming." She breathed clambering out of bed quickly, "Lightning!"

Her older sister came dashing out of her room, gun blade in hand.

"She's coming, Serah." Lightning stated almost as breathless as her younger sibling, a light sheen of sweat on her face.

* * *

Snow fell out of bed with a thud, groaning on impact.

"Ow." He grumbled sitting up and looking out the window of his bedroom, "She's coming. She's actually coming here."

* * *

Sazh jolted awake, somehow keeping a hold of his now sleeping son.

"She's coming, Dajh." He said softly, letting out a long breath, "Kid's got guts. That's for sure."

* * *

Hope sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes and wiping away the tears that were still flowing down his face. His mother, having heard his restlessness, entered the room and turned on the light.

"What's wrong, little one?" She asked sitting down on the bed.

"She wasn't smiling. She wasn't happy at all. I want her to be happy." Hope cried, continuing to wipe away the tears.

"Who sweetie? Who do you want to make happy?" Nora asked slightly confused.

"The pretty lady in my dream. Her name is Artz. The misty person upset her and nearly made her cry. I don't want her to cry." He answered very upset himself.

"It was just a dream, baby." She soothed brushing his hair.

He batted her hands away and she was shocked by the angry look on his face.

"It wasn't just a dream! She's coming! Coming to our world! She's real and I'm gonna make her happy!" Hope yelled his eyes holding a similar determination to the ginger's.

Nora was surprised to say the least, but her son did take after her in the stubbornness department. He was convinced that this Artz girl was real and there was simply no way to change his mind once he was sure of something.

"Alright. Then we'll just have to find her. Now won't we?" His mother replied smiling softly at her son.

Hope stared at his mother with a newfound love and respect. A grin slowly stretched across his face and his eyes lit up with happiness. He threw his arms around his mother's neck and cried tears of joy.

"Thank you, Mommy!" He cried out happily.

Nora hugged her son, rubbing his back in a comforting manner. It'd be a miracle if he got back to sleep at all that night. Oh, to be a mother with a stubborn and energetic son.

* * *

The two crystalline sleepers never moved but a much calmer aura flowed out around them.

"She's coming." They whispered.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter One: Worlds Collide! Whew…did you follow all that? I hope it turned out okay. It sounded okay to me, but I'm pretty tired so anything sounds okay to me at this point. Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Two: Monster Hunt! Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 2: Monster Hunt

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to _Star of Hope_! I am just cranking out these chapters. It's like I can't focus on anything else. Don't worry, I'll get back to my other stories eventually, but the muse seems to be stuck here for the time being.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all of my other ones as well. You guys rock!

* * *

Okay, now we are moving past the weirdness stage and into a more linear time line and if you haven't guessed it by now, Artz will be meeting Snow first. Reason being is that out all of them, Snow is the most likely to believe just about anything she says without question or hesitation. Also Artz is still very new to the Final Fantasy XIII universe and needs a chance to acclimate to her new surroundings. The NORA house is about the best place she can do it in.

Don't worry; she'll meet Lightning and all the others at some point or another. I think I actually have it in this order; Snow, Serah, Lightning, Sazh and Dajh, and then Nora and Hope. I have a lot smaller scenes designed to show how her friendships with them are progressing, so there might be a few time skips. Mainly because Nora and Hope live in Pallumpolum so they only visit Bodhum every once in a while and Sazh is a part time pilot and Dajh is being taken care of by his mother. I don't think Artz actually meets Dajh's mother, not unless I can find some more information about her.

* * *

Anyways, I don't own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2 or anything else I make references to.

Now on with the show!

* * *

Chapter Two: Monster Hunt

* * *

The leader of NORA was currently in his bedroom, getting ready for the day. It had been about a week since he had dreamed about Artz and he had still yet to find her. He spent every day and well into the night, searching the quiet seaside town for the missing red head. He had even enlisted the other members of NORA to help him find her, but still no luck.

He slid on his boots, shaking his head a bit. He was dog tired and hadn't had a proper night sleep since before his dream about the ginger haired woman. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out, before sliding his hand down his face in exhausted fashion. He took a deep breath and forced himself to stand. He wouldn't stop looking. He would find her. He grabbed his silver coat and put it on. He then grabbed his bandana and tied it over his blonde hair.

Deep in his gut, he had a feeling that today would be the day…the day that he would find Artz. He needed to be on the top of his game. He wouldn't let the red head down. She needed him to be there for her; to protect her, to help her, and to teach her about the new world she was now in.

He walked out of his room, full of determination and resolve, but he didn't get very far because Lebreau was standing in front of him with her arms crossed and her foot tapping lightly on the floor. She did not look too happy and it seemed to be all directed towards him.

"What?" He asked nonchalantly.

"It's been a week, Snow. One whole week! When was the last time you actually slept more than three hours?" She snapped extremely cross.

"I have to find her, Lebreau. She's counting on me to be there for her." He replied softly but firmly.

"You're no good to her if you're dead on your feet! What happens when you find her and you guys are attacked by some monster? You'll be too exhausted to protect her!" She yelled trying to get some sense into his dense skull.

"I know, but she's all on her own, Lebreau. She knows next to nothing about our world. I've got to find her and at least bring her here where she can be safe." He replied firm in his resolve.

Lebreau sighed softly as she dropped her arms to her sides.

"We're worried about you, Snow. We just don't want you to get hurt." She stated quietly, her eyes revealing just how worried she was.

"Just one more day, Lebreau. Let me search just one more day and then tonight, I will get full night's sleep, I promise." He pleaded his tone just shy of begging.

She gave him a stern look and he had to hold back a gulp. Lebreau could be scary when she wanted to be.

"Fine, but only one more day and then I'm lacing your food with a sedative to knock your stubborn butt out. Are we clear?" She replied her tone super sweet and a creepy smile on her lips.

"Yes ma'am." Snow quipped quickly, just a tiny bit intimidated by the only female member of NORA.

Lebreau stepped aside and allowed him to pass. He didn't get more than five steps before the other three members of NORA rushed in panting for breath. They looked like they had just run a mile uphill.

"What's up, guys?" He asked wondering what was going on.

"Storm's rolling in." Yuj started trying to catch his breath.

"And a pack of pumas are following the storm front into town." Gadot continued taking a deep breath.

"Do we know what kind? We need to know what we're fighting against." Snow asked immediately taking charge of the situation.

"The people who saw them said they looked purple and silver, so I say they're the luminous puma variety." Maqui answered half hunched over from trying to regain control of his breathing.

"They usually don't come into town. I wonder what provoked them." Lebreau piped up from behind the counter, a deep frown on her face.

"Don't know, but we need to take care of them before they hurt someone." Snow replied heading towards the door and noticing the dark clouds in the sky, heavy with rain, "And we need to do it before the skies decide that we would all look better as drowned rats."

"We're with you, boss." Gadot stated having caught his breath and was ready for a fight.

"Alright, Gadot take the east side of where the sightings occurred. You'll be in charge of forcing them back into the forest. Yuj, Maqui, you two will be on corral duty, making certain they don't wander off anywhere but where we want them. I'll take point and head in for a frontal assault, driving them to you. Lebreau, stay here and coordinate with us, pass along any information you hear from the customers and any further reports on these things' movements." Snow ordered.

"I thought you didn't do plans, oh fearless leader." Lebreau commented a small smile on her face.

"I'd like to get this over with quickly. I have other things to do than chasing down a pack of cats." He replied slightly annoyed.

"Duty calls, boss." Yuj piped up, earning a slight glare from Snow.

"Don't worry, boss. We'll take care of this real fast and then we can go and find Artz." Maqui placated trying to calm their sleep deprived leader.

"Let's move out!" Snow ordered running through the door without another word.

The others exchanged glances, all worried about their leader, before taking off after him and going to their designated locations.

* * *

The blonde leader of NORA ran down one alley after another, looking for the pack of luminous pumas. His clothes were beginning to stick to him from the constant downpour of rain. It hadn't five minutes after they left that the rain started to fall. Now it was like a deluge. He could barely see what was a foot in front of him and the rain was like a deafening roar, drowning out all other sounds. These were not the best conditions for a monster hunt.

He kept going, searching every road and ever alley. He had to find these critters and send them packing back to their normal hunting ground so he could refocus his efforts on finding the still missing crimson haired woman from his dream. He didn't want to waste this day because of a pack of cats. He had to find her, he needed to find her. All he could think about was how she was alone in a world that was different from her own. She was lost and probably scared out of her mind.

His mind came to an abrupt halt when he was tackled to the ground by the very critter he had spent the entire morning looking for. It growled and prepared to bite his head. The weight on his chest suddenly vanished when someone tackled the puma, allowing him to get up. He tried to see who it was but the rain had reduced his visibility to zero.

He saw vague shapes not too far away and it looked like whoever had saved him was fighting the luminous puma. He or she was doing very well because they landed a solid hit to the puma's head. It let out a pained shriek and over the deluge, Snow heard the pounding of paws heading their way.

Crap, that meant that the rest of the pack was coming to help their injured pack mate. The NORA leader was once again yanked out of his thoughts when someone grabbed his hand and dragged him down another alley. The pair broke into a run and the sound of the approaching pack slowly faded away into nothingness, meaning that they had lost them...for now. Snow was then pulled into a small alcove with an overhang, blocking the constant downpour.

He turned to look at the person who had saved his life and his eyes widen in shock. There, standing before him, was none other than the woman he had been searching for the last week. She was wearing a long sleeved black shirt, dark blue jeans, a crimson leather jacket, and black combat boots. She was completely soaked and her clothes were plastered to her hourglass figure. Her dark red hair was still in the braid she had in the dream, her dripping bangs framing her face. Her liquid sapphire eyes were bright and almost seemed to glow in the darkened alcove.

"You okay?" She asked trying to catch her breath from their recent mad dash away from the pumas.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Thanks for the save, Artz." He answered smiling.

"How did you know my name?" She asked very confused.

"I had a dream about you. It was a week ago. You were talking to some figure surrounded by mist." He answered honestly.

"That was Etro or at least a manifestation of her and it's been a week? I only just got done talking to her like twenty minutes ago." She replied.

"I guess that's why I couldn't find you. Time must have passed differently in…what did you call it?" He started.

"The Void Beyond, a shadow of Valhalla. It's like a space between time periods and I guess it serves as a crossroad between dimensions as well." Artz elaborated.

"I'm just glad you're here." Snow replied smiling.

"Why?" The ginger asked slightly amused.

"Lebreau was threatening to spike my food with a sedative if I didn't get a proper night sleep tonight. I've been searching for you nonstop since I had that dream. I was worried about you." The NORA leader confessed.

The red head walked over to him and slapped him upside the head.

"Ow. What was that for?" He complained rubbing his head.

The five foot ten inches tall dimensional traveler had quite a bit of strength in her hands, because that actually hurt.

"For being an idiot! I know enough about this world that I would have found the NORA house on my own! I would have sought you out first!" She scolded a rather cross expression on her face.

"Really? Why would you come and find me first?" He asked genuinely curious.

"Because out of everyone that I know in this world, you are the one who would most likely believe me and my outlandish story. The one who would help me become a part of this world. The one who would keep me safe from PSICOM and the Sanctum. The one person I could trust with the vast knowledge in my head." She answered honestly, meaning every word.

He stared at her, a little in awe and feeling just a tiny bit stupid about his actions the past week. If he hadn't focused so much on trying to find her than they wouldn't be in this mess right now. A thought occurred to him.

"The pumas, you're the reason why their outside their normal hunting ground, aren't you?" He asked seeking confirmation for his ridiculous theory.

"I'm afraid so. I landed in the forest just outside of Bodhum, right smack dab in the middle of their territory. They have been chasing me ever since." Artz answered honestly.

"Maybe we can use that…lead them back to their hunting ground." He postulated trying to think of a plan.

"Snow, stop trying to make a plan." She stated making his eyes snap to hers, "In the words of your future self, heroes don't need plans."

Snow let out a quiet chuckle. That was more like him, but he was too damn tired to really be his usual self. He leaned against the wall and eventually slid to the ground, his eyes feeling incredibly heavy. The red head knelt down next to him, sitting on her legs, her eyes dancing with worry.

"Sorry, just need a break. Pretty tired." He replied blinking his eye lids a few times, trying to stay awake.

"Take a nap. We won't be going anywhere with this." She responded gesturing to the still heavy downpour.

"You'll be alright?" He asked not wanting to let her down.

"I'll be just fine. Now sleep." She answered smiling softly at him.

He let his eyes drift close and within moments, he fell asleep.

* * *

Snow awoke to the feeling of the sun on his face. He opened his eyes and saw that the rain had stopped and it was only partly cloudy.

"Looks like the rain has stopped. We should head out." He stated.

When he didn't get a response, he looked over to where he had last seen Artz, but she wasn't there. His head whipped around looking for her but she was nowhere to be seen. He quickly rose to his feet and staggered out of the alcove, looking up and down the alley in a panic.

"Artz!" He yelled his voice echoing through the empty alley.

A horrible thought occurred to him. What if it was just a dream? He had been so sleep deprived that it could have been a hallucination. He looked down at his hand, remembering how she grabbed his hand as they ran from the pack of pumas. He balled his hand into a fist as his jaw clenched. No, Artz was real. She had been there with him. She had saved him and he was going to find her again.

He reached into his pocket for the walkie talkie that all members of NORA had to keep in contact, but he discovered nothing. He checked his other pockets but the communicator was gone. Did Artz take it? Was that why she left? To help his friends with the pumas? He set of into a run, heading towards where the others had been set up to corral the pack.

* * *

About five minutes later, he was nearing the forest that bordered the outskirts of town. He heard gunfire and knew that his friends were still fighting the pack of pumas.

"Artz!" Maqui shouted.

"Look out!" Yuj yelled.

"Get out of the way!" Gadot bellowed.

Snow cleared the buildings and saw Artz backed up against a group of trees, three luminous pumas barreling right at her. There was nowhere for her to run. She was trapped. The NORA leader doubled his speed and managed to get in between her and the pumas. His fists went flying and he knocked all of them away.

"You want her? You'll have to go through me!" Snow yelled getting into a fighting stance.

"Snow." Artz breathed her tone full of relief.

"Boss!" The three males members of NORA shouted in joy.

They quickly joined their leader, guns pointing at the luminous pumas. The large cat like monsters stalked the perimeter the NORA members had created, eyeing the woman that was their intended target. After what seemed like an eternity, the pack began to inch away. They raced off into the forest.

"Oh man, that was close." Maqui stated in relief, lowering his gun.

"Impeccable timing, boss." Yuj piped up.

"Heroes usually show up at the last minute, ya know." Artz commented straightening up, a smile on her face.

Snow turned around and faced her.

"What the hell were you thinking? Taking off on your own like that?" He demanded.

"Cut her some slack, Snow. She didn't have a choice." Gadot interjected before things could get ugly.

"What do you mean?" The NORA leader asked confused, glancing at him.

"The pack was coming right at you two, so Artz took your walkie talkie and lured the pack away from you." Maqui explained quickly.

"She saved your life, boss." Yuj commented softly.

"She used the communicator to coordinate with us and led the pack right to us." Gadot chimed in.

The blonde haired man looked back over at the dimensional traveler, who was holding up his walkie talkie like it was a peace offering. He sighed heavily before taking it and putting it back in his pocket.

"You're forgiven." He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It was completely worth waking up in a panic earlier to see the brilliant smile that lit up her entire face now and made her eyes sparkle with joy. She lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly. His face softened as he returned the hug. He couldn't be angry with her. She was just trying to help others like he did. She didn't know it, but she was a hero too.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Two: Monster Hunt! This chapter was so awesome and when I started typing up Snow's charging in and being a hero thing, his theme started playing on my Xbox's music player. Talk about perfect timing! It was so totally epic! *takes a few calming breaths* Okay, I'm good.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Three: NORA House! Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 3: NORA House

Lady Artz: Hey to all you ladies and gents! Welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story, _Star of Hope_! Yeah, I know…yet another chapter. I can't help it. They are just flowing out of me like the story wants to be told. I haven't felt like this in a while. I knew I would find my muse eventually. Took me long enough.

Anyways, much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all of my other ones as well. Thanks for the support!

* * *

This chapter will focus on the members of NORA, so that we can get to know them a little better rather than just the brief overview that we get from the main story line. I really want to dive into their characters a bit and give this story a new depth. I believe that it will be either Lebreau or Yuj which will eventually lead to Artz meeting Serah. I'm leaning towards Yuj at the moment. Seems more plausible that way.

* * *

Okay, disclaimer time. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or anything related to the Final Fantasy universe. Nor do I own anything else I make references to. I only own my OC, Artz and my plot line woven into the original story.

Enough of me running my mouth like no tomorrow. On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Three: NORA House

* * *

Being at the NORA house was a rather interesting experience for the ginger haired dimensional traveler. All the members of NORA were so open and welcoming. Snow had filled them on where she was from and what she knew, but they never questioned her about it. Well Maqui did a little, being the science geek that he was until Lebreau eventually shushed him with one stern look that sent him running out the door.

Artz would commonly spend her time watching the people around her and how the members of NORA would interact with others and with themselves. Gadot was usually found reclining on one of the couches at the back of the beach bar or was out on patrol for monsters and crooks. Maqui was usually located at a table in the front of the beach bar working on gadgets and gizmos. Yuj was usually out on the side patio, either surrounded by his fellow NORA members or a group of girls. He had to be the most fashion oriented person the red head had ever met.

Lebreau was usually working the bar itself, conversing with customers, making meals, and managing the information flow in and out of the NORA House. She was a walking contradiction at times. One moment, she is sweet, kind, and always has a smile on her face. The next moment, she is like a feral behemoth, roaring at wrong doers and often times at her fellow NORA members who were acting like idiots.

Then there was the leader of the NORA group, Snow Villiers. The blonde man was far more fascinating than she once assumed. He seemed rather one or two sided in the Final Fantasy XIII game. The whole 'what you see is what you get' sort of thing, but here in this world, he had more depth and a higher level of intricacy to his personality. Artz was discovering that he had multiple layers and was the true definition of being a multi-faceted being.

There were moments when he was serious and cold as ice…never to her. When he was with her, he was kind, warm, understanding, patient, and even wise which had greatly shocked the red head. It had been on the third day she had been in this world and she was sitting out on the wooden dock where people liked to fish or simply sit to watch the sunset.

Her boots and socks were sitting on her left side and her pant legs were rolled up, her feet submerged in the water. She was staring out at the rippling water, watching how the sun's rays made the crests of the waves sparkle like diamonds. Snow walked up and sat down unceremoniously beside her, leaning his back against the wooden post.

"A gil for your thoughts." He stated a slight smile on his face.

"I was just thinking." She replied not looking away from the water.

"About?" He asked.

"The past, the future…trying to come up with a plan." She answered honestly.

"Heroes don't need plans." He quoted making a small smile appear on her face for a moment.

"I'm not a hero." She quipped back.

"Says the girl who saved my life twice in the same day." Snow retorted.

"That doesn't make me a hero." She responded.

"Look, don't focus on the past or the future. Focus on the here and now." He stated.

"One must look to the past to avoid making the same mistakes in the future." She replied in almost sagely tone, making the NORA leader snort in amusement.

"We'll face the future together, but you can't let yourself get sucked into the memories of your past and forget to live in the present." He countered an unusually wise look in his eyes.

The ginger looked over at him in mild shock, not expecting him to say something so deep and profound.

"You're a deep well, Snow." She commented with a small chuckle.

"But that isn't what's eating at you. There's something else, isn't there?" He replied a knowing look in his eyes.

"You remember when I told you about the Purge and how Lake Bresha turns to crystal?" She countered.

"Yeah, what about it?" He asked wondering where she was going with this.

She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"I can't remember anything past that. It's like my memories are being blocked by someone or something." She revealed.

"Maybe whoever or whatever is doing it is trying to protect you." He postulated.

"Protect me from what? How does blocking my memories help me?" She asked looking over at him, confusion in her sapphire orbs.

"Maybe they knew you. Maybe they knew that you would focus on what is to come and forget to live in the present. Maybe…maybe they wanted you to live your life without being burdened by the grief of the future. Maybe they wanted you to be happy…if only for a little while." He answered the wise look entering his eyes once more.

She blinked at him, again taken by surprise by just how deep the man could be. She hadn't really thought about the motive behind her memories being blocked, but simply that they were being blocked in the first place. She smiled at the NORA leader, her eyes a lot brighter than before. He had an uncanny ability to alleviate her troubles and calm her mind. She was truly grateful that Snow was in her life.

"Thanks, Snow." She replied.

"That, my dear Artz, is what best friends are for." He responded reverting back to his normal self.

"Best friends? Snow, you've known me for all of three days. How can we be best friends?" She questioned.

"Simple. You were you." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Artz descended into laughter and Snow soon followed.

* * *

The next day, the crimson haired dimensional traveler spent her morning with the blonde haired tech expert, Maqui, who was more than happy to talk her ear off. He went from one topic to the next with lightning speed and she kept up effortless. It turned out that the blonde techie had a very boyish personality despite him being seventeen years old.

His upbeat and cheerful nature reminded her a lot the Doctor's Tenth regeneration. She was secretly pleased that she had been able to find something reminiscent of her old world and it allowed her to feel more comfortable than before. Maqui used to be an introvert which didn't really surprise her, but when he met Snow, everything changed.

The leader of NORA had drawn the blonde techie out of his shell and Maqui secretly idolized him. He even tried dressing similarly to Snow which Artz found to be rather cute. She had noticed early on that Maqui and Snow shared an almost sibling relationship and treated each other like family.

The red head also knew that Maqui was an expert mechanic and had opened or was planning on opening a wireless retail system called _Lenora's Garage_ which would later on become a big help to Snow and the others while on their journey.

"So, how is everything going with your secret side project?" She asked interrupting his long winded explanation about dimensional variances that quantified temporal singularities.

"What secret project?" He asked confused.

"Lenora's Garage, your wireless retail shop for upgrading weapons and accessories." She elaborated.

Maqui blinked at her, the gears turning at lightning speeds in his bright blue eyes.

"I had thought of that, but I had no idea what to call it or even how to do it." He confessed.

"Well, you should get started on it. It becomes a big help in the future." She replied giving him a meaningful look.

His eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. His retail shop would be instrumental to helping her and Snow in the future and she was implying that if he didn't then things could end up much worse than what she had seen.

"I'll get right on it!" He replied hastily leaving the table and rushing off to his workshop.

Gadot took that moment to come over, barely avoiding the streak that was Maqui.

"What did you say to him? I've never seen him like that. It was like he was on fire." He commented.

"I simply inspired him." She replied smiling, a knowing look in her eyes.

From that point on, she hung out with Gadot. The two went on patrol together, but only after Snow made Gadot promise to look after Artz. To this, she slapped him in the back of the head and told him to get his head on straight. This action had earned a loud guffaw of amusement from the second best fighter in the NORA group.

The two headed out and she observed Gadot closely. The man was a staggering six foot three inches tall, a good five inches taller than her. He made her feel so short and unimpressive. The guy was built like an ox and had flaming hair. He could have been considered the polar opposite of Snow if they didn't share the same brash and sometimes reckless nature.

During her time with him, she realized that on the outside, he was confrontational and presented the whole 'shock trooper' vibe, but on the inside, he had a very kind and compassionate heart that made him a joy to be around. Gadot also held a great respect for Snow which came across every time he referred to the NORA leader as 'boss'.

They had grown up together and viewed each other like brothers which was apparent from their interactions with one another. When they returned to NORA House, she and Gadot ended up in an impromptu sparring match. He was a formidable opponent and he always kept her on her toes. Her mind searched for a way to use his strength and large build against him and Artz remembered a show called G Gundam.

Domone Kasshu, the fighter for Neo Japan, had been fighting against Argo Gulsky, the fighter for Neo Russia. Argo was about the same height and build as Gadot and she wondered if the move that Domone used would be effective against Snow's right hand man. She used her small size and flexibility to jump over Gadot's head, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pushed him backwards. She let gravity do the rest and he landed on his back with a grunt while she landed gracefully on her feet.

The crowd cheered at her victory while the other NORA members, Snow included, stared at her in shock. Gadot was the best fighter in their group, second only to Snow, and she had taken him down like it was as easy as breathing. She smiled, rubbing the back of her head in a sheepish manner. She was rather embarrassed at being the center of attention. Gadot sat up and laughed loudly at her embarrassment while the crowd dispersed.

"That was amazing, Artz! No one's ever been able to take down Gadot outside of Snow!" Maqui exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, I just remembered a show I used to watch. A martial artist had to fight an opponent just as big and strong as Gadot. I simply copied the movement and it apparently paid off this time. I doubt it will work again though." She replied blushing brightly at the techie's praise.

Gadot rose to his feet and placed his hand on Artz's head, making her look up at him in surprise.

"You're alright, kid. You can come out on patrol with me anytime. I know you'll always have my back." He stated his eyes full of pride.

Tears filled the ginger's eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She beamed up at him, her sapphire orbs full of happiness.

"Sure thing, big guy. Someone's got to look out for you." She replied cheekily.

The whole group erupted into laughter and for the first time in her life, Artz felt truly accepted and loved.

* * *

The next day, Artz wandered out of Snow's bedroom wondering what to do with herself today. A part of her still wanted to slap Snow for letting her take over his room while he slept on one of the couches in the back. She didn't like inconveniencing him like that. She stopped short when she noticed that no one was in the beach bar except for Lebreau.

"Hey Lebreau, where is everyone?" Artz asked confused.

"They're having a boys' day out. No girls allowed." Lebreau answered.

The red head frowned. That threw out her plans to spend time with Yuj. She was trying to get to know each member of NORA because she had noticed a lot of differences from how the characters were portrayed in the game as to how they were in real life.

"Tell you what. Why don't we have a girls' day in." Lebreau offered seeing Artz's 'deep in thought' face.

The ginger had a very expressive face and her eyes were like walking into a labyrinth of a thousand emotions and ideas. Someone could easily get lost in that girl's eyes. The dark haired woman pitied the poor fool who be Artz's boyfriend. He'd never get tired of looking into her eyes.

"Sounds good to me. Been meaning to hang out with you anyways." The red head replied walking over to the only female member of NORA.

"Oh? Why's that?" She asked genuinely curious as to how the ginger's mind worked.

"I want to get to know each of you as people, not just as characters." Artz answered honestly.

This surprised Lebreau. The dimensional traveler had never once treated them like they were simple characters from a story, but as actual people. She smiled slightly. Artz didn't realize that what she was doing was a moot point. Oh well, might as well humor her.

The rest of the day was spent with the dark haired woman teaching the ginger the secrets of her cooking techniques and learning more about the only female member of the NORA group. Lebreau was usually upbeat and highly independent. She ran the beach bar that supported NORA's monster hunting operation.

She sometimes reminded the red head of Kagome from the anime, Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairytale. She had the same kind of 'no nonsense' attitude that the Shikon priestess often displayed when dealing with a certain red clad hanyou, but she also shared the same desire to always help others.

Lebreau was the unofficial mother to the members of the NORA group and was constantly looking after them…usually by any means necessary and often had to use a 'no holds bar' approach on some of them just to get them to take better care of themselves.

Artz really enjoyed her time with the dark haired woman and learned a great deal from her that day. When the boys rolled in about sunset, both she and Lebreau scolded them for tracking in dirt everywhere and stinking to high heaven. They were then ordered to take showers, get a fresh change of clothes, and then clean up the mess they made in bar.

All of them groaned but did as they were told, mumbling about how the red head was a carbon copy of the feisty raven haired woman. Artz and Lebreau exchanged looks at one another before busting out into a fit of laughter.

* * *

The next day, the dimensional traveler was shocked into orbit. The moment she walked into the beach bar, her mouth fell open. The whole place was decked out in a party like fashion and there was banner saying 'Welcome to NORA, Artz!'. Apparently, the boys had decided amongst themselves the previous day to make her an official member of the NORA group.

Lebreau had gone along with their plan and kept Artz busy while they were picking up the supplies and hiding them. They had even gotten up really early to decorate so the red head would be surprised when she woke up.

"Here you go, Artz." Maqui stated handing Artz a head set with an ear phone and a microphone.

"You could have just given me a walkie talkie." She replied taking the head set and placing it around her neck.

"NORA's second in command needed something bit more hands free so she can keep fighting while coordinating with the rest of us." Gadot commented.

Artz's face morphed into one of shock.

"Second in command, but isn't that your job, Gadot?" She asked really confused.

"Nah. After the way you handled yourself against the pumas, Snow and I both agreed that you were a better fit for the job." He answered waving off her question like it was no big deal.

She gaped like a fish, completely taken by surprise. She was completely floored by this revelation.

"Um…boss, I think we broke her." Yuj piped up, poking the side of her head.

She batted his hands away and gave him a stern look that put Lebreau's to shame. He yelped in fear and hid behind Gadot.

"Scary." He mumbled peaking slightly from behind the larger male.

The others laughed and Artz joined in, her shock finally wearing off. The entire NORA group spent the whole day partying. Many of the customers, having heard the news about the newest NORA member, came by and congratulated her, causing Artz to blush bright red every single time and making her fellow NORA members laugh which only cause her to blush more.

By the end of the day, the whole group was tuckered out and called it an early night. Artz crashed on Snow's bed, completely exhausted and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

The next day, Artz went out on patrol with Gadot since her initial target was nowhere to be found. She had wanted to spend some time with Yuj and get to know him, but he was one slippery devil and it was incredibly difficult to pin him down long enough to talk to him. When she got back from patrol, she asked Maqui for his help, knowing that the two of them were best friends, and he said he would take care of it.

That afternoon, she found Yuj out in his usual spot on the side patio, sipping a lemonade.

"Hey Artz! Maqui said you wanted to hang out with me." He called waving her over.

She walked over to him with a relieved smile on her face.

"You're a hard man to find, Yuj." She replied taking a seat in front of him.

"Sorry about that. Maqui has had me running errands for him the last few days. Some new, super secret project of his." He informed.

"Oops, my bad. That was my fault. I sort of inspired him." She admitted giving him an apologetic smile.

He smiled back, having no problems at all.

"Nah, it's cool. It's nice to see him so revved up again. He's happiest when he has a challenge." Yuj replied putting her at ease.

From her earlier observations at the party, Yuj is more laid back and level headed than most of the other male members of NORA. He has a rational mind and a keen eye for fashion. He has critiqued her outfit choices several times and always gave her a thumbs up on just about everything she wore.

She didn't have a wardrobe of her own or her own place which she was in sore need of rectifying. She had started to notice how Snow was always cracking his neck or rubbing his back. He slept like a log, yes, but it wasn't doing his neck and back any favors by sleeping on the couch all the time.

"Hey Yuj, will you spend the afternoon with me?" She asked a plan already forming in her mind.

"Don't see why not. Besides, Maqui made it clear that I was all yours until you dismissed me." Yuj answered a teasing smile on his face.

Artz blushed at the double meaning, making the blue haired nineteen year old laugh. She glared at him and he gulped quietly. He knew better than to push her too far. They had all seen Lebreau's temper in action, but they had never seen Artz's temper. Maqui's theory was that the dimensional traveler rarely got angry and if she ever did, she would be like a super volcano. No one would be spared from her wrath.

After Artz had calmed down, the two left NORA House and started walking through town. The red head blurted out her plans of finding her own place to live within ten minutes of talking the blue haired man.

"I'm guessing you noticed how Snow's been acting, huh." Yuj surmised.

"Yeah." She replied softly, looking down at the ground as she walked.

The laid back NORA member placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't feel down. All of us have offered to take his place, but he refuses every time. It's not your fault that he's an idiot." He comforted.

Artz laughed softly at that while Yuj's hand returned to his side.

"So true, but still, I feel bad. I don't want to be burden." She replied.

"Hey, you are not a burden, alright. We all care about you and want you to be happy." Yuj quipped quickly.

"I know. The past few days have shown me that, but I still feel like I'm not really contributing. I know it's not true, but it's how I feel." She replied with a quiet sigh.

"You, Artz, are a walking contradiction." He commented.

"How so?" She questioned looking up at him.

"You have a logical and rational mind, but you're also creative and imaginative. You have a heart of gold and are incredibly kind, but you're also strong and brave. You do what's right and damn the consequences and yet there is that cold and selfish side to you, particularly when someone messes with NORA or has something bad to say about us. So many different sides and natures, all rolled up into a singular package…you." He explained poking the side of her head at the end of his explanation.

She batted his hand away and smiled at him.

"It would seem that you are just as observant and perceptive as I am." The red head commented.

His eyes softened as he glanced at her.

"I may have a love for fashion and can be a touch too vain for my friends' likings, but I simply call it how I see it." He replied making her giggle.

Artz was about to respond when she bumped into someone. Yuj managed to catch the ginger before she had a nasty fall. He looked over at the person who had nearly bowled the dimensional traveler over. It was young woman with light pink hair. She was wearing a sleeveless white button down shirt, a transparent pink sweeper, a red plaid-pleated skirt with black lace, black thigh high stockings, and ivory ankle boots.

He had seen her around town a few times. She was hanging around with an older chick with the same hair color as her…her sister, he believed. She was well liked by the townspeople and had a way with kids. This was actually the first time he had seen her without her sister in attendance.

Artz finally stood straight up, having regained her balance.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! I was just going to meet with my sister and I'm so, so sorry!" The girl exclaimed bowing a few times as an apology.

The red head finally got a good look at who had nearly bowled her over and her eyes went wide.

"Serah." She breathed.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it! Chapter Three: NORA House is over and done with! Whew, over four thousand words! Yippee! Anyone else noticing that my chapters are gradually getting longer. The prologue was over a thousand. Chapter One was over two thousand. Chapter Two was over three thousand and now Chapter Three was over four thousand.

You can tell that I'm settling into the fandom now and I feel much more relaxed and comfortable with the characters. I hope I portrayed the members of NORA well enough for you and hopefully kept them in character as well.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Four: Everything Changes! Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 4: Everything Changes

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to _Star of Hope_! Okay, you're probably wondering when I'm gonna stop posting so quickly, but to be honest, I don't really know. Just go with it.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed and reviewed this story along with all my other ones as well. You guys are the best! Thank you so much for the support!

* * *

Alright, this is it. Artz meets Serah and Serah, in turn, brings her to her older sister, Lightning which brings up the spoiler thing I mentioned a couple of chapters ago. You're about to find out in this chapter what I have planned for Artz, Serah and Lightning and maybe you all can guess what it might be and the possible implications it will have on the story line.

Serah's reaction to Artz is different from Lightning's reaction and I'm not certain how explosive it's going to be. I haven't thought that far ahead in this particular scene, so let's hope it turns out okay.

* * *

Disclaimer time: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or anything else related to the Final Fantasy legacy. I also do not own anything else I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz, and the insane idea woven into the original story line.

Now with the show!

* * *

Chapter Four: Everything Changes

* * *

 _The red head finally got a good look at who had nearly bowled her over and her eyes went wide._

" _Serah." She breathed._

* * *

Serah stopped apologizing for a few seconds and got a good look at who she had bumped into. Her eyes widen in shock as her mouth opened in a small gasp. It was her, the woman from her and her sister's dream.

"Artz." She whispered simply too stunned for words.

The ginger haired woman blinked a few times, apparently getting over her own shock.

"You two know each other?" The blue haired boy inquired.

"Yuj, this is Serah Farron, younger sister to Lightning, a member of the Guardian Corps. Serah, this is Yuj. He's a member of NORA." Artz introduced her eyes a myriad of different emotions.

"A pleasure to meet you, Yuj." Serah replied politely before looking to Artz, "We need to talk to Lightning…now."

The younger Farron grabbed the red head's hand and dragged her through the crowd.

"Hey wait!" Yuj called out in surprise, trying to follow them.

It wasn't long before he lost them completely and he was silently cursing his rotten luck.

"Oh, Snow's not gonna be happy about this." The blue haired NORA member mumbled under his breath.

He pulled out his walkie talkie.

"Maqui, we got a problem." He stated making his way to a side alley.

"What's up, Yuj?" The techie asked.

"Some girl with pink hair ran into us and now, she's taken Artz to god knows where. The weird thing is that they recognized each other, but I'm pretty certain that they've never met before." He answered trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut.

Artz had mentioned that Serah's sister was in the Guardian Corps, most likely the Bodhum Security Regiment. What if this Lightning person turned the dimensional traveler over to the Sanctum? He shuddered at the thought of Artz being tortured by PSICOM. If any harm came to the red head while she was in his care, Snow would skin him alive and now she was missing.

"Yuj, it's Snow. Have you ever seen the pink haired girl before?" The NORA leader inquired.

"I've seen her a few times around the shopping center with her sister, but boss, her sister is the Guardian Corps and she was taking Artz to see her sister." Yuj informed the uneasy feeling in his gut getting stronger by the second.

* * *

Artz stood across the way from the headquarters of the Bodhum Security Regiment, waiting for Serah to return. The younger Farron had told her that both she and her sister had dreamed about the dimensional traveler just like Snow had and eventually asked her to wait outside while she talked to Lightning.

"Artz? Artz, can you hear me?" Snow's voice reached her right ear.

She looked down at the head set Maqui had given her the other day and quickly put it on, tapping the talk button on the side.

"Loud and clear, Snow. What's up?" She replied.

"What's up?! You were dragged off by someone we don't know to who knows where! We were scared out of our minds! That's what's up!" He shouted making her wince at the volume.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but you don't have to worry. Apparently, she and her sister both dreamed about me like you did. That's how she knew my name and who I was." Artz replied calmly.

"Her sister is Sanctum! She can't be trusted!" Snow argued the fear very evident in his voice.

"Calm down, Snow. Her sister is Guardian Corps. She's part of the Bodhum Security Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Amodar. He's a good man and I trust her younger sister." She stated in the same calm manner.

"What about the older sister?" He asked calming down slightly.

"That remains to be seen. I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet, but I know that early on, she's a hard ass and emotionally distant and I understand why she's like that, but her younger sister was insistent that I speak to her so that's what I'm gonna do. Once I'm done, I'll head back to NORA House. I give you my word. Please trust me, Snow." Artz answered her tone damn close to pleading.

He remained quiet for a moment before sighing heavily.

"I trust you, Artz. Just stay safe, okay." He replied reluctantly giving in.

"I will, I promise." She vowed before muting the head set again and placing it back at her neck.

* * *

Serah finally returned with a pair of short swords. She quickly wrapped the belt around the ginger's waist and attached the swords in a crossed like fashion.

"Serah, what's going on?" Artz asked confused by her actions.

"Lightning told me to give these to you and take you to the practice field. Come on." Serah answered quickly before grabbing her hand again and dragging her to the back of the complex.

They entered the practice field. Lightning was standing at the opposite end, her arms crossed and looking entirely too serious. Artz had a bad feeling about this. She walked onto the practice field and faced the elder Farron.

"Lightning…" The red head started but never got to finish her sentence.

The pink haired woman was charging at her with her gun blade drawn. The dimensional traveler barely had to flip over her and dodge her initial attack. Lightning swung her blade around, aiming for the ginger's right side. Artz instinctively reached behind her and drew the right sword from its sheath and raising it up just in time to stop the elder Farron's second attack. Lightning smirked slightly.

"Not bad." She commented before twisting her body around and swinging the sword towards red head's left side.

Artz immediately drew the left sword with her left hand and blocked that strike as well. Lightning flipped backwards as did the red head, putting them in a face off position.

"What the hell, Lightning?! I did not come here for a fight!" The ginger yelled more than a little peeved at that moment.

"What you expect and what actually occurs are two very different things, Artz. To hesitate…" Lightning started beginning to charge at her again, "…is to die!"

She swung her sword down and the red head raised both swords in a crossed position, catching the elder Farron's blade in between her own, just a few inches from her head. They stayed locked in that position for a few moments.

"Stop it, Lightning!" Artz shouted straining to keep her swords in position, "I don't want to fight you!"

She had never been in an actual combat situation and her body wasn't prepared for the strain of a constant battle. Sweat formed on her forehead and rolled down the sides of her face, her breathing becoming more labored the longer they remained in that position. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep this up. Lightning has significantly more training in the area of combat and the ginger had only just begun sparring with Gadot and Snow to build up her stamina.

"You are weak." The female soldier snapped coldly.

Something inside of Artz cracked at that statement, a white hot feeling surged through her system. It felt like the blood in her veins was on fire, every part of her screamed from the intense heat coursing through her body. Her liquid sapphire eyes began to glow with a soft blue light.

She pushed back against Lightning's sword, surprising the trained soldier. Artz let out a battle cry as the wind picked up around her. The wind focused around her swords and pushed away the elder Farron with such force that she was blown to the other side of the practice field. Lightning slammed her sword into the ground to stop her backward momentum.

She had no time to recover because the dimensional traveler was already rushing at her with a speed that should have been humanly impossible. The elder Farron defended herself from the relentless assault of the crimson haired woman. She tried to keep up with the ginger's movements, but it was like she was possessed by the spirit of some ancient warrior. Never before had she faced such a difficult opponent. It was like she was fighting a completely different person.

Serah watched from the sidelines, her eyes filled with fear and worry. Something had changed in the crimson haired woman. She had heard her sister's comment about her being weak and that was when the tide of the battle had changed. No longer was she simply trying to defend herself. She was now focused on a single goal...victory.

Lightning was shocked when the red head knocked her gun blade out of her hand and several yards away from her, well out of the soldier's reach. The ginger placed her right sword at the elder Farron's neck and the left one was positioned at her abdomen. If she moved, either her neck would be sliced open or her stomach would be run through. Either way was not a quick death. She would bleed to death very slowly, her death lasting minutes instead of seconds.

"You win." Lightning conceded knowing she had been squarely beaten.

The soft blue light faded from Artz's eyes as she lowered the swords and returned them to their sheaths. She was sweating profusely, her skin very flushed and her breathing was ragged.

"What the hell was that about, Lightning?" She demanded trying to regain control of her breathing.

The trained soldier had to stop herself from frowning. The ginger was back to her original self, but she looked like death warmed over. She simply dismissed it as intense fatigue from a long winded battle. The symptoms were similar and so she gave it no further thought.

"It was a test. You could use some formal training, but you have the instincts of a warrior. That will serve you well in the future." Lightning answered calmly, "I know that things will become dangerous for us at some point and I need to make certain that you are capable of defending yourself."

"Some warning would have been nice." The red head snapped lightly.

"Battles happen when we least expect them. Now, I have a proposition for you." She countered easily.

"I'm listening." Artz replied her face still very flushed.

"As it stands now, I can train you in combat but you'll need to have access to a mana drive and to do that, you need an identity. Serah and I have already discussed it and we would like to officially adopt you into our family as our sister. What say you?" The pink haired woman offered.

"How would you go about doing that?" The red head asked the burning sensation coursing through her system becoming more noticeable the longer she stood there.

Lightning motioned Serah to come forward. The younger Farron was holding a data pad. She gave it to her older sister and she held it out to the crimson haired woman.

"This is a questionnaire that has all the questions that need answering for the creation of your identity and the subsequent adoption process. If you decide to accept, you'll become Artz Farron and you'll be living with us." The elder Farron informed as the ginger took the data pad.

"We already have a room made up for you and we can go shopping to get you anything you might need." Serah chimed in.

"I'd like some time to think, if that's alright? The last decision I made was spur of the moment, with only emotion driving it. I'd like a chance to think this one through." Artz replied wanting nothing more than to be back at NORA House.

She honestly felt like she was going to drop at any second.

"Please do. I hope that you'll agree to our proposal." Lightning responded nodding to the red head's terms.

"Why is that?" The dimensional traveler asked confused by everything that had just happened.

"Isn't it obvious? We already view you as family, silly." The younger Farron answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The elder Farron turned and retrieved her gun blade, returning it to its sheath.

"Let's go, Serah." Lightning said walking away.

"See ya soon, Artz!" Serah stated waving goodbye as she ran after her sister.

The two left the area, leaving the dimensional traveler alone with her thoughts in the practice field.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Artz mumbled placing the data pad in the pouch on her right side.

She left the practice field and made her way back towards NORA House. She wasn't even a third of the way there when the scorching heat became just shy of unbearable. She made her way into an alley, her vision blurring from the pain. Where was this heat coming from? Why did it hurt so much? Why was it happening now? What caused it in the first place?

" _You are weak."_

The heat increased tenfold sending her crashing into a nearby dumpster, her hand clutching the front of shirt. She fell to the ground, her head laying on her left arm and her right hand still clutching her shirt. Tears flowed down her face. It felt liked she was burning from the inside out. What was happening to her?

"Snow…" She cried out weakly before blacking out from the pain.

* * *

Snow Villiers, leader of the monster hunting group called NORA, paced the length of the beach bar, his hands balling into fists every few seconds. The other members of NORA watched him with intense worry. They had never seen him so worked up before. It had been hours since they had last heard from Artz, their newest member, and the sun was beginning to set on the horizon.

The red head had never stayed out past sunset before, mostly to placate their overprotective leader. He wasn't very keen on the idea of her being by herself for any length of time. Especially not after learning about her past and how she was abandoned by every friend she ever made. Even her own family was gone. The only people she had now to worry about her was the members of NORA and their leader, Snow.

"Maqui, try to reach her again." Snow ordered trying to stay calm.

The more he tried to calm down, the more his insides felt like they were on fire. Every instinct he had was telling him that Artz was in major trouble, the kind of trouble that one couldn't take on alone. He was kicking himself for not going after her sooner, but she had asked him trust her and he did. Why was he so hot? Where was the heat coming from?

Maqui did as his idol asked and tried to connect to Artz's head set. He managed to establish the link, but she wasn't responding at all. He activated the locator chip he had placed in her head set for just this kind of situation. According to the computer, she was about a quarter of a mile away from the Bodhum Security Regiment's headquarters and she was not moving, so she was either incapacitated somehow or the head set was not with the original owner.

"No good, boss. She's not responding, but I do have the location of her head set." He piped up, giving the NORA leader a small circular device that displayed a small portion of a map, "Press the button on the side to view the whole map."

"Thanks, Maqui!" Snow replied running out the door like a bat out of hell.

"Just bring her back, okay?!" He yelled after his leader.

"I will!" The blonde man shouted back before disappearing from sight.

"I hope she's alright." Maqui said quietly.

Yuj placed his hand on the blonde techie's head.

"I'm sure she is." The blue haired NORA member replied.

"Artz is tough, so no need to be fretting. You know how much she hates that." Gadot chimed in from his spot on the sofa.

"I'll say. That girl does not like people worrying about her, but has no problem with fussing over the rest of us." Lebreau commented from behind the counter where she was making the evening meal.

Maqui stared out at the setting sun, his mind going over many thoughts. He was back tracing through his memories, coming to the realization that Artz hadn't been with them very long and yet they were worried about her like she had always been with them since they were little. How did it come to that?

"When did she become so important to us?" He questioned aloud without meaning to.

The others looked at him in surprise, but then started wondering that themselves. Looking back, she just sort of fitted into their group like she was always meant to be there. Her charming personality, her quick wit, and her loving heart were all things that drew them to her.

Maqui cared about her because she actually listened to him and supported him in all of his endeavors. Yuj cared for her just as much because she accepted just as he was, vanity and all. Gadot treated her like a kid sister because she seemed to make everything brighter by simply being in the room and it gave him someone that looked up to him and respected him, but also gave him someone to protect. Snow viewed her as his best friend, the one person that would always be there to back him up no matter what, but also because she understood his mind and heart better than any of them ever could.

Lebreau, herself, cared for the girl like she was her own sister. She had such an avid curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. She loved to learn new things and that really endeared her to the dark haired woman. She held a kindness and compassion that Lebreau aspired to have herself. She smiled softly as she realized what had happened in the short amount of time they had known her. It was so obvious that it was ridiculous.

"She's the heart of NORA." She commented making the others look at her.

Smiles crossed their faces when they realized that she was right. The dimensional traveler had sneaked into their hearts without them even realizing it and now she was a part of them, a part of NORA, and a part of their family.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Four: Everything Changes! I thought about continuing it but then decided that the next part took on an entirely different tone than this chapter so I decided to end it here. The next chapter will reveal something very intriguing about Artz, something that was hinted at in the prologue, but had not been addressed yet in the main story.

It is just so exciting! Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Five: The Brand! Stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 5: The Brand

Lady Artz: Howdy all you guys and gals! Welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! Last chapter was rather explosive and certainly threw a few curve balls. Best get prepared for a few more in this chapter.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well! You guys…and girls are the greatest! Thank you so much for your constant support! *thinks that came across as a little creepy but simply shrugs her shoulders and continues on*

* * *

In this chapter, a symbol on Artz's lower back is believed to be a brand of some kind. The NORA members will be discussing not only the implications of this, but how it came into existence in the first place. Also, we will have a cameo appearance from two different people who won't show up again for a while, but I thought it was time for them to have some air time for themselves.

* * *

Okay, it's that time again. Disclaimer Time! I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. I also do not anything that I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz, and the mysterious plot line weaved into the original story line. I think that covers everything. *rereads then gives the readers a thumbs up* Okay, we're good.

I think I've talked enough for one chapter…or several. So without further ado.

On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Five: The Brand

* * *

The leader of the monster hunting group called NORA ran through the streets, barely dodging the many pedestrians milling about. He stopped long enough to check the map Maqui had given him. He was following the yellow arrow, showing the direction that the signal from Artz's head set was coming from.

The closer he got to her, the more the heat seemed to build up inside of him. He was beginning to believe that the fire like sensation he was feeling was actually originating from the dimensional traveler herself. He didn't like how it made him feel. He had to find her and soon.

He took off running again, now certain of his bearings. He cut through the alleys to avoid most of the people that were heading home for the night. The map started beeping, indicating that he was getting close. He kept running until he saw the red head lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Artz!" He yelled running over to her.

He slid onto his knees right next to her and quickly lifted her upper body into his arms.

"Artz…" He started shaking her a little, "Talk to me, Artz. Come on. Wake up."

Her eye lids slowly opened, revealing dulled sapphire orbs. A slight smile formed on her face.

"Snow…you came." She said quietly, her voice barely audible but he heard her.

"Of course I did. Artz, what happened?" He replied noting how flushed her face was and how the heat seemed to roll off of her in waves.

He had been right in his assumption that the heat he had been feeling inside of him all afternoon had been originating from Artz in the first place.

"It burns." She whispered as tears leaked out from her eyes.

"What burns? Where?" He questioned becoming more and more worried with every passing second.

"Inside. I'm burning…on the inside. I don't…I don't know why." She answered her eyes slowly sliding shut again.

"No, no, no! Don't go to sleep just yet! Stay with me! Stay awake!" He half shouted holding her closer.

"But I'm so…tired." She replied her eyes closing fully.

"Artz!" He yelled bringing her closer and clutching her to his body.

It was then that he noticed a faint glow coming from under her shirt. He lifted the shirt out of the way and his eyes widened at the mark on her lower back. He had seen it before. It had been just a simple diamond, nothing special about it, but now…now it was different. It had changed from being a diamond to a four point star and it was glowing brightly in the growing darkness of the falling night.

Was it this mark that was causing her so much pain? Was it the source of the heat that was burning her from the inside out? What the hell happened to cause it to act up in the first place? Why now, of all times, did it have to do this? She was just starting to live her life. She was finally happy and was settling into their world. Why now?!

He lifted her into his arms, making certain to put her shirt back down so no one saw the glowing mark on her back. He couldn't risk anyone seeing it or they would think she was a l'Cie, maybe even a Pulse l'Cie, the enemies of Cocoon. He had to protect her no matter what.

He took off running, making certain not to jerk her around too much. As he ran, night fell fully and the street lamps flickered to life. A thought occurred to him as he ran. What if the mark on her back was, in fact, a brand? But if that was the case then who did it belong to; Pulse or Cocoon? He looked down at her face and decided then and there that it didn't matter if she was a Cocoon l'Cie or a Pulse l'Cie. She was his best friend and he would support her no matter what.

After another fifteen minutes, he finally made it to the NORA House. He walked inside with Artz still in his arms. Her face was still very red, her breathing rapid and shallow, and she felt much hotter than before.

"Boss!" The other members exclaimed running over to him.

"What happened?!" Both Maqui and Yuj asked simultaneously.

"Is she alright?" Gadot asked just as worried as the others, "Is she hurt?"

Lebreau was the most quiet out of all of them. She walked over and started checking the ginger for physical injuries.

"She's not seriously hurt, a few minor scrapes." She diagnosed before noticing the red head's flushed face and placing her hand on the girl's forehead, "Dear God! She's burning up!"

She yanked her hand back, blowing on it a moment.

"How can you hold her like that? Her skin is scorching! It actually burns!" The dark haired woman asked worried about both the ginger and their leader.

"I don't know. Maybe because I've been the feeling the heat all afternoon…somehow made me numb to it." He answered before walking over to the sofa and laying Artz on her stomach.

"What are you doing?! We need to get her into bed right now!" Lebreau screeched.

"Just a sec. Have any of you seen anything like this before?" He asked lifting the ginger's shirt to reveal the glowing four point star on her lower back.

"It's a brand of some kind, but it isn't like the brand the Cocoon fal'Cie use." Yuj answered.

"It doesn't look like the Pulse fal'Cie kind either." Maqui commented.

Snow turned Artz over and picked her up again.

"I think that it's causing her to burn up from the inside out and I have no clue how to stop it." He informed before walking to his bedroom and putting the red head to bed.

Lebreau immediately grabbed a bowl and filled it with cold water, grabbing several towels as well. She wet one of the towels, folded it, and placed it on the ginger's forehead. She wet another and placed it around the red head's neck, trying to cool her down if only a little.

Snow left the dark haired woman to tend to the dimensional traveler while he went to talk to the others.

"There's gotta be some way of helping her!" Maqui yelled worry and fear written all over his face.

"But we don't know how, Maqui." Yuj replied trying to remain calm.

"We can't just let her die!" The blonde techie screamed damn close to tears.

"And we won't." Snow interjected walking up to them, "Artz is strong. Maybe not in body, but in heart, mind and soul. If anyone can beat this thing, it's her."

Maqui settled down a bit, rubbing his eyes as the tears fell.

"It changed." Gadot spoke up, having been silent for a while.

"What changed?" Maqui asked a whole lot calmer than before.

"The brand on her back. Before it was diamond. Now a four point star." Yuj answered.

"The question is why did it change. If we answer that, then we could figure out what happened to her." Gadot stated crossing his arms.

"We have to figure out what caused this thing to start acting up in the first place and maybe, we'll find a way to make it stop hurting Artz." Snow concurred.

"From what little I know about the brands is that they change over time. Depending on the focus, determines how fast that change is." Yuj commented.

"Wait, I read something on the net a while back. It said that if a l'Cie experiences a particularly traumatic event with high emotional stress that it could accelerate the brand." Maqui piped up, recalling what Artz had shown him a few days prior.

"That's it." Snow stated a look of realization crossing his face, "Artz must have been put into a situation that struck her at her core, causing the brand to activate and change."

"Then why is it hurting her?" Gadot asked.

"With what we know, no brand has ever done anything like this before." Yuj commented.

"I don't know and I think the only person who can tell us is Artz herself." Snow replied looking towards his bedroom.

* * *

 _Artz screamed in pain, the flames bursting to life around her. They were not red flames or even orange flames, but blue flames tinged in silver. She was in so much pain. She was trying so hard to keep it together, to not give in, but it hurt so much. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel…it was just the never ending flames that seemed to sear into her very soul._

 _She couldn't tell where she was. The location always changed; the shopping center of Bodhum, the NORA House, The Void Beyond, the beach front, the practice field, and even the forest. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to cry out in anguish._

" _Help me…please…someone, anyone. Help me!" She screamed descending into sobs._

" _Don't give up." A voice called out, slicing through the flames and disrupting the pain she was feeling._

" _Who's there?" Artz asked completely exhausted._

 _The flames vanished along with the pain and everything around her changed. She was in place she had never been before, but the architecture and layout looked very familiar to her. There were flowers everywhere and blooming trees. She could hear the distant sound of waves crashing on the beach._

 _She then heard a very familiar sound of beeps and whistles and she looked down at her feet to find a dog looking robot, nudging her leg._

" _Bhakti? That would mean that I'm in Oerba." She concluded kneeling down and petting the robot affectionately._

" _You're right." The voice stated as a light appeared not too far from the crimson haired woman._

 _The light vanished to reveal a girl with bright red hair, almost orange, and green eyes._

" _Oerba Dia Vanille." Artz stated knowing exactly who she was._

" _Yep, that's me." Vanille replied smiling at her._

" _Do you know what's happening to me?" The red head asked hoping to get some answers at last._

" _I'm sorry, but I don't know what's causing it or how to fix it." She answered sadly._

" _Then why are you here?" Artz asked confused._

" _I heard you calling out so I came." Vanille answered smiling again._

" _We came." Another voice said._

 _Another light appeared and it when it faded, there was a woman with dark wavy hair and green eyes. She was wearing a black top with a blue overlay and she was carrying an ornate red staff weapon which Artz knew to be the Bladed Lance._

" _Oerba Yun Fang." The red head stated earning a nod from the newcomer, "Well, isn't this a party?"_

 _Vanille giggled at the ginger's attempt to lighten the mood. Even Fang smiled a little in appreciation._

" _So what's on your mind, Artz? Might help us figure out what's going on with you." Fang asked._

 _Artz remembered what Lightning had said on the practice field. Those three words echoed throughout Oerba in a deafening roar, making Fang and Vanille cover their ears. The red head finally snapped out of the memory, the words fading away into nothingness. Fang and Vanille uncovered their ears._

" _Now I see. She struck a chord, didn't she?" Fang asked a knowing look in her eyes._

 _The dimensional traveler looked away, a little ashamed._

" _I'm not weak." She stated quietly._

" _You wanted to prove to her that you were strong and not weak, right?" Vanille surmised._

 _Artz looked over at Vanille with tears in her eyes._

" _I'm not weak." She repeated her voice trembling._

 _Fang's eyes softened in understanding. She took a step forward, only to stagger back in surprise._

" _Fang! Are you alright?" Vanille asked becoming worried for her friend._

" _Incredible. No wonder you called for help. There is no way you are ready for that." Fang breathed staring at Artz in awe._

" _Ready for what?" The red head asked trying to understand what the woman from Gran Pulse was saying._

" _That…that power." Fang answered._

" _Power?" Artz echoed._

" _Vanille, reach out to her." Fang ordered the younger woman._

 _Vanille nodded and did as she was told. The younger woman gasped in shock, yanking her hand back. She stared at the dimensional traveler with wide eyes._

" _You felt it too." Fang stated rather than asked._

 _Vanille nodded, her gaze never leaving the confused ginger in front of them._

" _Will someone tell me what is going on?" Artz demanded becoming frustrated._

" _A great power sleeps inside of you or at least it was, but now it's waking up and you are nowhere near ready for it. You're not able to control it and that is what is causing the pain you're feeling." Fang explained._

" _What do I do? How do I make it stop?" Artz asked trying to figure out what she needed to do._

" _There's nothing you can do, but we can. Right, Fang?" Vanille replied looking to her friend._

 _The dark haired woman nodded before looking back at Artz._

" _We're going to patch you up, but it won't last forever. You need to make your body as strong as your heart is and you'll be able to control that enormous power inside of you." Fang explained smiling encouragingly at the crimson haired woman._

" _I promise. I'll train hard and make you two proud." Artz replied smiling as well._

" _We're already proud, Artz." Vanille stated beaming at the ginger._

" _After all, you said yes to coming to our world and that takes a strength of heart that most people can never hope to obtain in a thousand lifetimes." Fang concurred._

" _Wait…did you two dream about me as well…when I was brought to The Void Beyond?" The red head asked putting the pieces together._

 _They both smiled at her and raised their right hands. Their hands glowed and she was blinded by a bright prism like light._

* * *

Lebreau watched as the ginger's breathing returned to normal and the flushed look faded from her face. She removed the wet towels and checked the red head's temperature . She gasped upon discovering that the heat that once flowed off of her body in waves was gone and her skin was a normal temperature again.

She carefully turned Artz onto her side and the checked the mark on her back. It was no longer a four point star. It had changed again. This time, the star had six points and it was no longer glowing. The red head curled her hands around the pillow and snuggled into it. Lebreau had to hold back the relieved laugh that threatened to spill out of her mouth at such a normal sight.

She quickly stood up and walked out of the room. Snow saw her coming and immediately got up to meet her halfway. Maqui was crashed out at his usual table. Yuj was sitting on one of the bar stools and sleeping on the counter. Gadot was also asleep on his usual couch. Snow was the only left awake, simply too wound up to sleep.

"How is she? Any change?" He asked keeping his voice down as to not wake the other NORA members.

The dark haired woman smiled at him.

"Her fever's broken and she's no longer burning up. Also the brand has stopped glowing, but is now a six point star, but it looks like she's over the worst of it. Now she just needs some sleep." She answered then noticed the dark circles under his eyes, "And so do you."

"If it's alright, I liked to check in on her first." He replied not denying that he needed sleep.

Lebreau's eyes softened in understanding.

"Of course." She acquiesced stepping aside.

He quickly entered the room and saw the red head curling around the pillow, a smile on her face. His body sagged in relief and he had to sit down in the chair next to the bed because his legs wouldn't hold him up anymore.

Snow wouldn't admit to anyone, but he had never been so scared in his life. The whole time, he had been terrified that she was going to die or worse…become a Cie'th. He had been entertaining countless scenarios, each more dark than the last. To find out that she was going to be just fine was the best thing that Lebreau could have said to him.

The sheer relief of those words had nearly robbed him of what little strength he had left, but then seeing Artz sleeping peacefully and not in any kind of pain…it sapped what little energy that remained in him. He leaned forward and rested his head on his arms, allowing his eyes to close. Within moments, he was out like a light.

Lebreau smiled softly from her spot in the doorway. She knew he wouldn't succumb to sleep until he was absolutely sure that the dimensional traveler was going to be okay. He was just so stubborn which was probably why he and Artz complimented each other so well. She was just as stubborn as him if not more so, but she had an ace up her sleeve when it came to their fearless leader. All she had to do was plead just a tiny bit and he would give her anything she wanted almost instantly.

The dark haired woman pulled out the spare blankets from the hallway closet. She unfolded one and placed it over Snow, making certain not to wake him up. She unfolded another and placed it on Maqui, removing his goggles and his head set so he could sleep easier. She repeated the process with Yuj and Gadot, tucking them in.

She finally headed off to bed herself, utterly exhausted from the constant worrying of the last two days. Those two days that Artz had been in so much pain had to have been the longest two days of their lives. Each member of NORA had crashed within the last twelve hours, simply unable to stay awake any longer and now it was her turn. She fell onto her bed and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Lady Artz: Chapter Five: The Brand is over and done with! Whew! My hands are getting tired from typing so much, so I think this is the last chapter of the evening, but not to worry. I'll probably start up again tomorrow. *giggles*

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Six: Snow vs. Lightning! Stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 6: Snow vs Lightning

Lady Artz: Hello to one and all and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! That last chapter got a bit emotional and plus with Fang and Vanille showing up like that…sorry, I couldn't resist. After all, they showed up in Serah's dream world in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Seemed appropriate.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well! You guys and girls are the best and I'm truly grateful for all the support you've given to my most recent endeavor!

* * *

In this chapter, Artz thinks over what happened with Fang and Vanille. Not to mention, the implications of what they told her. She also thinks over Lightning's offer to join her family as her and Serah's sister. The Farron sisters do make an appearance and things get pretty hostile between Snow and Lightning which, in turn, gets Artz involved.

Also, watch Snow and Serah closely and you just might notice something interesting. *giggles like a mad woman*

* * *

It's that time again…the dreaded disclaimer. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. Nor do I own anything I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz, and the insane and often mysterious plot line that she is at the center of, subtly interwoven into the original story line of Final Fantasy XIII.

*blinks* I have a tendency to talk a lot, don't I? I guess that's why I refer to these little tirades as Author's Rants. Anyways, enough of my incessant chin wagging!

On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Six: Snow vs. Lightning

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler awoke to the early morning light streaming through the bedroom window. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. It felt like she had slept for a month and her muscles were aching. Once her vision cleared, she took note that Snow was sleeping with his arms and head on the bed.

Had he been watching over her the whole time? Her eyes softened in appreciation. He was always taking such good care of her, always trying to make her happy. She realized that she must have scared him pretty bad with what had happened. She vaguely remembered hearing him call out her name.

' _Snow…you came.'_

' _Of course I did.'_

He had come for her, he had found her, and he had carried her all the way back to NORA House. Then he stayed by her side as she fought off the flames from within. He was always there…she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She didn't deserve a friend like him, let alone a best friend.

She was pulled from her thoughts when he whimpered slightly in his sleep. She looked down at his face and saw that it was scrunched up like he was in pain. Was he having a nightmare?

"Artz…don't go…please." He mumbled making the tears in her eyes fall down her cheeks.

She removed his bandana from his hair and brushed her fingers through his blonde locks, trying to calm him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Snow. I'm right here. I'm not gonna leave you." She whispered softly.

He seemed to hear her because his face smoothed out and the pain vanished from his features. She continued to absentmindedly brush through his hair, wiping the tears from her face with her other hand.

She let her mind float back to the dream she had of Vanille and Fang. They had come to help her and they did, but she also realized that they had dreamed about her before like Snow, Lightning and Serah had. Was it possible that all of the Pulse l'Cie had dreamed about her? She wouldn't know for sure until she met Sazh and Hope, but it was starting to look like a very plausible possibility.

' _You need to make your body as strong as your heart is and you'll be able to control that enormous power inside of you.'_

Artz pulled out the data pad from her pouch and looked down at it. Fang had said that she needed to make her body stronger in order to control the power that slept inside of her.

' _It won't last forever.'_

The means that Vanille and Fang had used to stop the pain was only a temporary measure. She had to become stronger before the patch failed. She could think of only one way to do that. She turned on the data pad and the questionnaire appeared on the screen.

' _As it stands now, I can train you in combat but you'll need to have access to a mana drive and to do that, you need an identity. Serah and I have already discussed it and we would like to officially adopt you into our family as our sister.'_

She'd have to accept Lightning's offer, but what about Snow? She looked down at the sleeping NORA leader. She couldn't simply abandon him, not after everything he had done for her, but Snow and Lightning simply would not mix. They were like oil and water…after further thought, they would be more like oil and fire. She was pretty certain that if they ever met face to face for more than ten minutes, they'd kill each other.

She was definitely in a bit of a pickle on this one. She shut down the data pad and placed it back in her pouch. She then quietly got out of bed as to not disturb the sleeping male and made her way to the bathroom. She took a long shower, letting the cold water wake her up fully. After what happened with the fire, she didn't want to take a hot shower for a while. The memory was still too freshly imprinted in her mind.

She exited the shower and dried off. She wrapped the towel around herself and tiptoed to Lebreau's room, the owner of said room still soundly asleep. She grabbed a pair of blue jean shorts, a sleeveless button down black shirt, and some undergarments. She made her way back to the bathroom and got changed.

She returned to her room and put on her combat boots. She looked at the short swords Serah had given her. She should probably take them with her, especially after what Lightning had said the other day on the practice field.

' _Battles happen when we least expect them.'_

She was right, of course. It was important to be prepared for anything, but still live in the present. She attached the belt around her waist and attached the swords in a crossed fashion that would not hinder her ability to run and fight. She grabbed the pouch and attached it to the right side of the belt. She picked up her head set and placed it around her neck.

She took one final look at the slumbering NORA leader and smiled softly. She then turned and walked out into the main area of the beach bar. She had to hold back a laugh at the sight of Yuj drooling on the counter from where he had fallen asleep. She noticed Maqui asleep at his usual table and her eyes softened at how cute he looked in his sleep.

Her eyes finally came to rest on Gadot and she couldn't hold back the snort of amusement. He was all tangled up in a blanket, one leg over the back of the couch and the other over the side. The upper half of his body was almost completely on the floor and he was snoring loudly. She erupted into a fit of silent giggles and made her way out of the beach bar.

The air was still quite cool and the sun wasn't even fully risen yet. The beach was pretty much empty except for a few cats wandering around at the far end. She walked across the beach and onto the wooden dock. She walked to the very end and looked out at the water, her mind buzzing with countless thoughts.

Did she really want to become a part of Lightning's family? Would she have to leave NORA for good? Would the elder Farron turn her into something she's not? Would Snow hate her if she did become apart of the Farron family and leaving him when she had just promised that she wouldn't? What was she supposed to do? Which world did she have to choose? Practicality or comfort? Safety or happiness? Why couldn't she walk in both worlds?

' _Mend the rifts.'_

Artz's eyes widened as she remembered what the goddess had said. Maybe…maybe this what she meant or at least one of them. She looked back at NORA House, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. A smile spread across her lips and her eyes brightened with an idea. She pulled out the data pad and turned it on, the questionnaire appearing on the screen once more.

She would be Artz Farron, second in command of NORA and sister to Lightning and Serah. She would still be Snow's best friend and Lebreau's cooking assistant. She would still be Maqui's muse and Yuj's tormenter. She would still go out on patrol with Gadot and she would train with Lightning. She would make Vanille and Fang proud of her and become stronger. She would meet Sazh and Hope and form friendships with them.

She would mend the rifts and making a better future for everyone. She would save them all.

* * *

The NORA members woke up in a panic when they discovered that Artz was missing. They were all rushing about like idiots with the exception of Lebreau, who was calmly making breakfast for everyone.

"We've got find her! What if she's hurt?! What if the brand acted up again?! We have to help her!" Maqui shouted panicking more than the rest.

"Just calm down, Maqui. We'll find her." Snow placated not doing much better himself.

"She couldn't have gotten far, right? We can go out a look for her!" Yuj suggested a little calmer than the others but still quite worried about the ginger haired woman.

"She might be in laying some alley somewhere and we're just standing here like idiots!" Gadot bellowed making Snow wince because he had found her in an alley.

"Your confidence in me is staggering, Gadot." Artz deadpanned making all the NORA members spin towards the front door of the beach bar.

The dimensional traveler stood with her arms crossed and her hair loose and free like crimson waterfall. Yuj blushed at how beautiful she looked. Who knew changing one's hairstyle would have such a profound impact on one's appearance? Maqui bolted towards the ginger with lightning speed and hugged her tightly.

"I was so worried about you! I thought you were gone forever!" He cried out, a few tears escaping his eyes.

"You doubted me? Shame on you." She replied cheekily, returning the hug and brushing her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner.

He calmed significantly and eventually released her, rubbing his eyes.

"How're you doing, kiddo?" Gadot asked from his spot in the back.

"I feel fine. In fact, I came up with a rather clever idea a couple of hours ago." She answered beaming like nothing had happened.

"You were unconscious for over two days!" Snow yelled losing his cool at last.

She blinked owlishly at him, surprise in her eyes.

"Two days?" She echoed having been caught off guard by his statement.

"What the hell happened?!" He demanded taking a step towards her.

Before Artz had a chance to respond, she had been pushed back and someone was in front of her. It took her a moment to realize exactly who it was. It was Lightning. She had her gun blade drawn and was currently pointing the barrel at the NORA leader.

"Lightning! What are you doing?" Artz exclaimed pushing her back so that she was in between them, "Put that down!"

The trained soldier glanced at her briefly before lowering her weapon and holstering it.

"Who the hell are you, lady?!" Snow shouted coming up behind Artz and glaring at the elder Farron.

"She's Lightning, my elder sister." Serah stated walking up to stand beside her sister, "And I'm Serah Farron."

"So, it was you two that caused it." The NORA leader growled out, his eyes filled with anger.

"Caused what?" Serah asked confused.

Lightning ignored him completely and turned her attention to the slightly annoyed red head.

"Have you thought over my offer?" She asked.

"I have." Artz answered.

"Offer? What offer? Artz, what the hell is going on?" Snow demanded getting more and more angry at the trained soldier.

Lightning finally looked at him, her aqua eyes as cold as ice.

"She is under my protection." She stated simply, like it explained everything.

"Like hell she is! She's a member of NORA and we protect our own!" He half yelled his muscles tensing for a fight.

"And you think you're strong enough to protect her? You are weak." She replied coldly.

"Let's take this outside and I'll prove to you that I can protect her." He growled out.

* * *

Artz and Serah stood off to the side while the other NORA members remained on the front porch of NORA House.

"This is ridiculous." Artz commented as Snow and Lightning moved to opposite sides of each other.

"No kidding." Serah concurred.

"I knew getting these two together would be like oil and fire, but this is just plain absurd. They both had the same dream about me and they both want to protect me. That should at least make them allies." The ginger stated her annoyance coming across loud and clear.

"You mean he had the same dream as me and Lightning?" Serah asked surprised.

"Yep and you three aren't the only ones. I know of at least two others who have had the same dream and there at least two more, whom I haven't met yet, that might have had the dream as well." The red head answered.

"Why so many people?" Serah asked frowning as Lightning and Snow traded a few more indirect insults.

"Because they're all connected to the events to come and somehow I'm in the middle of it, drawing them together before they were supposed to meet. Take Lightning and Snow for example. These two were not meant to meet until around her twenty first birthday, but by my being here, things are changing. I'm not entirely certain if that is a good thing yet." She answered eyeing the two combatants in front of her.

"He's kind of handsome." Serah commented suddenly, her gaze directed at the NORA leader.

Artz smirked slightly, a knowing look coming to her eyes.

"If you're in to those selfless hero types, then he's the right man for you." She replied.

"Are you and him…" The younger Farron started.

"Together? No. Snow and I are far too alike to have a healthy and steady relationship." The ginger finished watching Snow and Lightning race towards each other.

Despite Snow having no formal training, he was holding his own pretty well against Lightning.

"Wow, he's pretty good." Serah commented watching the fight with keen interest.

Artz's eyes narrowed as she saw the growing frustration in the trained soldier's eyes. Lightning flipped backwards and landed on her feet. She snapped her fingers, making the red head's eyes widen. The elder Farron was activating her mana drive! Was she trying to kill him?! Lightning placed her sparking hand back on her gun blade and the sword began to glow.

"You're going down!" The pink haired woman yelled beginning her charge.

Artz bolted forward into the battle field, drawing both her swords simultaneously. She got in front of Snow and crossed her swords above her, catching the elder Farron's mana charged blade. The wind blasted away from them because of the impact.

"Artz! What the hell are you doing?! Get out of the way!" Lightning yelled her blade pushing harder against the ginger's swords.

"You're so busy trying to prove that Snow can't protect me, but the truth is you're only proving that you don't trust me to protect myself!" Artz shouted back, pushing against the gun blade and forcing the pink haired woman to retreat step by step.

The dimensional traveler pushed her away completely, making Lightning flip backwards to regain a proper footing.

"You say you want to protect me, to train me, but all you have shown me this day is how weak you are!" The red head snapped making the trained soldier's eyes widen in shock.

"I am not weak." Lightning bit out, her control over her deeper emotions beginning to slip.

"Then prove it. You and me, let's see whose ideals and vision of the future are stronger. Mine or yours?" The ginger challenged getting into a fighting stance.

"I won't hold back." The elder Farron replied coldly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Artz responded a smirk on her face.

"Artz…" Snow started unsure of what just happened.

"Protect Serah, Snow. I don't want her getting caught in the middle of this." The red head stated keeping her eyes on her opponent.

"You sure?" He asked his tone revealing his hesitation.

"Trust me, Snow." She answered softly.

"Alright." He replied running over to the sidelines where the younger Farron was standing.

The dimensional traveler and the trained soldier charged at one another. Artz knocked Lightning's blade to the side with her left sword and swung with her right at the woman's head. The pink haired woman dodged by twisting and flipping away. The ginger smirked and she spun on one foot and kicked up the sand with the other. The elder Farron was surprised by the tactic and her eyes widen as she caught sight of the glint of a sword through the shower of sand.

She barely managed to move her head to side in time to avoid the strike, but she didn't dodge it entirely. There was a small cut on her right cheek, the blood trickling down her face.

"She landed a hit!" Snow exclaimed surprised.

"I think she's even faster than last time." Serah commented in awe of the red head's improvement.

"Last time?" The NORA leader echoed looking over at the pink haired girl.

"Lightning and Artz fought at the practice field. She wasn't really expecting it and was doing her best to defend herself, but then Light said she was weak and the whole battle changed. It was like she became a seasoned fighter in a split second. My sister could barely keep up and was eventually defeated." The younger Farron explained while watching the ginger and her sister exchange a series of blows.

"But Artz isn't weak, far from it." Snow stated a little ticked off at the elder Farron.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Serah asked looking up at him.

He looked away from the fight and into her eyes. In that moment, something passed between them. Some kind of connection was made.

"She's my best friend." He answered simply.

Serah smiled softly, making the NORA leader's heart pick up in pace.

"Well, if she agrees then she'll be your best friend and my sister." The younger Farron informed.

"Sister? Wait, is that the offer that she and Lightning were talking about before?" He questioned.

The pink haired girl smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yep. Light and I both decided that it was the best way to protect her from the Sanctum. If she has an identity than she's less likely to draw attention. Plus, Light asked Lieutenant Amodar if it was alright to take on an apprentice and he said yes. She'll train Artz in the ways of the Guardian Corps so that she can better predict the Sanctum's actions and if we're lucky, she'll be given her own mana drive." Serah answered.

He was surprised at how well the Farron sisters had thought this through. They really did want to protect the dimensional traveler. He looked back at the fight just in time for him to see Artz knock the gun blade out of the trained soldier's hand. It spun rapidly towards them and was pretty much heading for Serah's head.

He pushed the younger Farron to the ground, the gun blade flying past them and colliding with the wall of the beach bar. Serah and Snow's eyes connected once again and in that moment, there was nothing but them. His heartbeat quickened for a second time and he could feel the blood rushing to his face. Serah was already blushing six shades of scarlet, but did not seem inclined to move.

Lebreau cleared her throat and broke the moment between the two. They both scurried to their feet and put a few feet in between them, both still blushing furiously. Snow finally noticed that Artz had her right sword pointing at the base of Lightning's throat.

"There are some lines I won't cross, Lightning, because in doing so, I wouldn't be me anymore. By becoming something I'm not, it would make the future that I'm fighting so hard to protect completely meaningless." Artz stated making the elder Farron's eyes widen slightly.

"I understand." Lightning replied.

"Do you? Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect; it only destroys." The ginger commented making the pink haired woman look at her in shock, "My name is Artz, a word that means Doctor and in turn, means healer, a person who saves others. Where you destroy, I will save."

Lightning's aqua eyes softened in understanding and Artz lowered her sword, returning them to their sheathes.

"I will be the sword and you will be the shield." The elder Farron replied smiling slightly.

"Actually that's Snow. He makes for one hell of a sentinel." The red head countered.

The trained soldier's face morphed into one of intense disbelief and mild annoyance, making the dimensional traveler laugh.

"Just because I'm accepting your offer, Lightning, doesn't mean that I'm going to quit being in NORA. Sorry, but they got to me first. They're as much my family as you and Serah are. You're just going to have to deal with it and take Snow in small doses." Artz stated giving her the data pad from her pouch.

"It would seem so, but I don't have to like it." Lightning replied making the red head laugh again.

Serah ran over to them, a big smile on her face.

"So I have a new sister?" The pinked haired girl asked excitedly.

"As soon as the process is completed, Serah." The elder Farron answered.

"Yippee!" The younger Farron shouted in happiness, jumping up and down.

"Artz Farron, sister of Lightning and Serah, and second in command of NORA." Artz stated walking over to Snow with a smirk on her face.

"That was your clever idea from before, wasn't it?" He surmised a knowing look in his eyes.

"Now that would be telling." The dimensional traveler stated coyly, a mischievous look in her eyes.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Six: Snow vs. Lightning! Whew…yet another battle. The main story line hasn't even begun yet and there has been two battle thus far, four if you include the puma incident and the fight between Lightning and Snow.

The next chapter should settle down a little…*reviews mental notes* or maybe not. Maybe different kind of drama instead. Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Seven: Skies of Wisdom! Stay Tuned!


	8. Chapter 7: Skies of Wisdom

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my FFXIII story called _Star of Hope_! The last chapter was totally awesome! Some stuff finally got sorted out and now we can continue on.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all my other ones as well. You guys rock!

* * *

This chapter has two developments; one major and one minor. Just a warning, there will be a minor time skip of about two months. Nothing much happens in those two months. It's mainly just Artz balancing her time between NORA and her sisters.

By now you have probably guessed who will be showing up in this chapter, but if you haven't, that's okay. This chapter will be introducing Sazh and his son, Dajh into the main story line and be the beginning of Artz's friendship with the pilot.

Also, the minor development revolves around an incident with a feral behemoth and shows how much Artz has been progressing with her training with Lightning.

* * *

Okay, it is now time for the disclaimer once again. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or anything else related to the Final Fantasy legacy. Also, I do not own anything else I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz…now Artz Farron, and the lovely twists that I am putting into the original story line.

*taps her chin thoughtfully* I think I'm gonna make a standard issue disclaimer so I don't have to constantly type it out. *shrugs* I'll put it on my things-to-do list. *looks around* Now where did I put that thing?

Hope: Sorry, but the authoress is kind of busy now, so you'll have to go read the chapter until she finds what she is looking for.

Sazh: Let's get this party started!

Vanille: That's not the right phrase.

Fang: Same thing.

Maqui: *pops in* On with the show!

Vanille: That's it!

Hope: *sighs* I need a vacation from these crazy people.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Skies of Wisdom

* * *

Two months have passed since the dimensional traveler had been officially adopted into the Farron family. As it turned out, she was older than Lightning by three years, but she was still viewed as the middle child of the family. She was perfectly fine with that. Lightning was much better suited to be the head of the household than she was.

The trained soldier introduced her to Lieutenant Amodar and after a lengthy discussion and stumping the poor guy with a few riddles and quizzes, Artz was given the rank of Private First Class, given her own mana drive, and was under Lightning's direct command as her apprentice.

The elder Farron started up the red head's training regiment, though they had to negotiate a bit so that she could still maintain her duties with NORA, much to Lightning's displeasure but she agreed to it nonetheless. They trained four or five times a week in three to five hour brackets. They balanced the learning of Sanctum protocols with actual combat training.

The pink haired woman had asked why the ginger woman wanted to jump directly into body strengthening exercises and Artz reluctantly explained to both Lightning and Serah about the brand on her back and what had occurred after their first fight. The elder Farron agreed that her physical, stamina, and endurance training were top priority and the last two months had been brutal.

Surprisingly, the dimensional traveler had an innate ability to absorb and replicate any technique that was shown to her in a relatively short span of time. Quite commonly, she learned anywhere from four to eight moves, skills or techniques in every training session and when Lightning didn't have anything else to teach her that day, she would make up her own attacks both mana driven and physical, sometimes combining the two.

When Artz wasn't neck deep in data pads and manuals or training with the elder Farron, she was almost always found at the NORA House, either helping out or simply relaxing. She had become so embroiled into the lives of the Farron sisters and the NORA members that Lightning was actually getting along with most of them. For the most part, she was civil towards Snow and could actually talk to him on occasion, but it mostly ended in a yelling match of some kind and them storming off in opposite directions.

Life was good for the dimensional traveler and she stayed relatively happy, although very busy. Today though, things were about to change just a tiny little bit.

* * *

The dark skinned pilot known as Sazh Katzroy was currently holding his son, Dajh, trying to get him to stop crying. Sazh's wife and mother of his son had to take over a shift at the last minute, leaving him on the beach front with the baby bag. So much for a nice walk along the beach. How did he end up in these kinds of predicaments?

He made his way to the beach bar called NORA House, wanting nothing more than to sit down and figure out what was making his son scream bloody murder. He was gonna be deaf before forty. He entered the beach bar and looked around. The place was unusually packed and looked like every seat was taken in the entire place.

"I just can't catch a break, can I?" He muttered in dejection, looking down at his still crying son.

"Need a hand?" A woman's voice asked from in front of him.

He raised his head and immediately noticed the uniform. It was a slightly modified version of the uniform that the Guardian Corps used. His eyes continued upwards until he reached the face of the woman who had spoken to him. He went shock still and simply stared. It was her! It was the woman from his dream!

"Artz?" He asked hesitantly.

She smiled at him, a small amount of humor in her eyes.

"Hello, Sazh. I'm guessing you dreamed about me as well." She stated rather than asked.

He nodded dumbly, but then remembered the screaming baby in his arms. He tried to shush him again.

"Come on, Dajh. Give Daddy a break, would ya?" He asked his tone begging.

Artz chuckled softly and walked over to him.

"May I?" She asked holding her arms out for his son.

"You know anything about kids?" He countered almost desperately.

"I took care of my nephew for three months when he was around Dajh's age. I know a thing or two about babies." She answered.

He gently laid his son into her arms, making certain his head was tucked into the crook of her right arm.

"What seems to be the problem, little guy?" Artz asked listening to the boy's cries.

She shifted her left hand and checked the baby's diaper.

"Oh, looks like someone needs to have his diaper changed." The ginger realized motioning for Sazh to follow her.

The pilot followed the crimson haired woman into a medium sized bedroom and watched in fascination as she expertly changed his son's diaper, tossing the soiled one into the garbage. Once done, she picked up Dajh and placed him on her hip, bouncing him and making him gurgle with happiness.

"You've got a way with kids." Sazh commented noticing how at ease the red head was with his son like she had been doing it for years.

"Not really. It's more practice than anything else. A lot of trial and error, emphasis on error." Artz replied tapping Dajh's nose, making the boy blink at the action then giggle.

The pilot laughed at that.

"I think I'm all error at this point. Every time I'm left alone with him, all he does is fuss and cry. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong." The dark skinned stated his shoulders slumping.

Dajh started complaining so the red head brought him fully into her arms, but he wouldn't settle down.

"What's wrong, little guy?" Artz asked listening to how the boy was fussing.

She placed her ear to his stomach and it heard it gurgle.

"Ah, someone's hungry now. Sazh, could you hold him while a make him a bottle?" The ginger asked giving the man his son back.

The pilot held his son as the woman whipped out the baby bottle and the canister of formula from the diaper bag.

"Is he eating an semi-solid foods yet?" She asked heading towards the kitchen.

Sazh grabbed the diaper bag and followed after her.

"Yeah, he is. Why? Is it important?" He countered determined to learn all he could from this woman, whom he was slowly viewing as the baby guru.

"When a baby starts ingesting semi-solid foods, it's best to make the formula he eats a bit thicker to keep up with his dietary intake and progress his eating habits more towards solid foods. Plus, it has the added bonus of making a baby sleepy almost five minutes after a feeding. Little trick I picked up while taking care of my nephew." She replied quickly mixing the formula and water in the baby bottle and shaking it, "That kid had a set of lungs on him and it was the only way I could get him to stay quiet so I could take a nap."

"How did you learn all this in three months?" He asked trying to keep his son from squirming out of his arms.

Now that the boy knew he was about to be fed, he was getting impatient.

"Like I said, trial and error. Often times, you can listen to the cries of a child and pick up the differences and determine whether they're hungry, sleepy, gassy, in need of a diaper change, and even when they're sick, but then again, I have a good ear for differentiating sounds. Sometimes the only way to know is to go through the list." She answered checking the temperature of the formula to make certain it wouldn't burn Dajh's tongue, "Follow me. There's a sofa outside that we can sit on."

The dark skinned man trailed after her again and around the corner. Sure enough, there was an empty couch at the very back of the alcove with a small table in front of it. She sat the bottle down on the table and held out her arms for his son. He handed the still squirming child over to her immediately and she sat down on the couch.

She picked the bottle back and guided into Dajh's mouth. The boy settled down instantly, sucking away like no tomorrow. Sazh sat down on the right side of the crimson haired woman. He was in awe of her skills with children and his son seemed to really like her too. He looked up at her face and noticed how kind and warm her eyes were. There was a contentment there that just seemed so right for her.

"Have you ever thought about having kids of your own? You'd make a great mother." He asked softly.

Her sapphire orbs became steeped in sorrow and danced with shadows like echoes of days long past.

"Perhaps one day." She answered quietly.

Sazh didn't like how glum she looked and he had no idea what had caused it, but he was gonna make her smile again.

"You know, I learned a lot of things being a pilot. Unfortunately, being a parent wasn't one of them." He commented.

Her eyes lightened as she chuckled.

"Don't be too sure about that, old man." She replied a slight smirk on her face.

"I'm pretty certain that there isn't a section called Parenting 101 in the pilot's manual." He responded a teasing tone to his voice.

"But a pilot has to know how to navigate, right?" She asked a knowing look in her eyes.

"Yeah, of course." He answered a little confused as to what she was getting at.

"It's the same for parenting. A parent has to navigate their child through the twists and turns of life." She replied.

"That's not the same thing." He retorted.

"You have to deal with turbulence and bad weather, right?" She asked a smile appearing on her face.

"Your point?" He countered.

"It's the same with parenting. When life throws curve balls at your child, you have to stay calm and not panic. Just like you would when you fly into storm clouds." She replied giggling a little at the expression on Sazh's face.

"I get your point. I can relate parenting to piloting well enough to muddle my way through." He stated leaning his back on the sofa and letting out a long sigh.

"The true key to parenting, especially during the younger years, is confidence." She informed in an almost sage like tone.

"Confidence?" The pilot echoed his tone laced with disbelief.

"If you don't have confidence that you can be a good parent, he'll sense it." She replied nodding to the baby in her arms.

Sazh looked at his son, a look of realization crossing his features. She was right. Dajh was picking up on his lack of confidence and his self-doubt. That's why he always had such a hard time taking care of him on his own. He looked back up at the ginger with a newfound respect and admiration. She smiled at him, her sapphire eyes warm and kind.

Dajh started fussing again, pushing away the bottle. She took the bottle and set it down on the table in front of them.

"Looks like he's done. Hand me that towel, would you?" She stated nodding to the towel on the outside of the diaper bag.

The pilot handed it to her and watched as she placed it over her right shoulder. She then placed Dajh against said shoulder and patted his back until he burped, spitting up a bit of the formula in the process. She placed the boy in her lap and removed the towel, setting it on the table next to the bottle.

"This is why you always use a towel while burping a baby." She said sagely, making the dark skinned man chuckle.

She placed the boy on her right leg and bounced him up and down gently, receiving happy squeals of delight from him.

"Can I hire you as a babysitter?" Sazh asked suddenly.

"I wish I could, Sazh, but between NORA and my Guardian Corps training, I'm booked solid for like the next year." She answered jokingly.

"They keeping ya that busy? Sheesh, do you even sleep?" He questioned.

"If it's not training, it's protocols and history. If it's not a shift at NORA House, then it's a monster hunt. Then there's Maqui's secret project and Lebreau's cooking lessons. Then there's patrolling with Gadot or running errands with Yuj. Then there's sparring with Snow and shopping with Serah. Then there's me trying to keep my best friend from killing my sister, Lightning and vice versa." She answered letting out a long sigh of exhaustion.

"You should take a break every once in a while. Go on a vacation or something." He suggested.

"I can't. There's too much to do and I don't have forever, so I have to make every moment count and live life to the fullest." She replied softly, her eyes distant like she was a million miles away.

Dajh broke her out of her thoughts when he started squirming a little. He let out a small yawn, rubbing his eyes cutely. She smiled softly, her eyes full of warmth. She cradled him in her arms, gently rocking him.

"How about a song, little guy? Would you like that?" She asked in an amused tone.

"You can sing?" Sazh inquired.

She smiled at him, amusement flashing in her eyes. She opened her mouth and began to sing.

"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby  
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay  
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow  
Bless you with love for the road that you go

May you sail fair to the far fields of fortune  
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet  
And may you need never to banish misfortune  
May you find kindness in all that you meet

May there always be angels to watch over you  
To guide you each step of the way  
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm  
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

May you bring love and may you bring happiness  
Be loved in return to the end of your days  
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you  
I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay

Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay..."

"That was beautiful." Sazh breathed completely floored by how sweet and melodic her voice was.

"And effective." She replied smirking and gesturing to the now out cold boy in her arms.

"You're a miracle worker." He commented smiling.

"Well, I do my best." She replied coyly, winking at him.

A man in a silver coat and a dark bandana walked around the corner.

"Artz!" He called walking over to them.

"Shut up, Snow. I just got him to go to sleep." She hissed sending him a death glare so powerful that the taller male freezed in fear.

"Yes ma'am." He replied almost inaudibly.

"Now what do you want?" She snapped still a little irritated with him.

"Um…Lebreau wanted me to remind you that it's almost three o'clock." He answered keeping his voice down.

She looked up at him in shock.

"How did it get so late?" She asked barely remembering to keep her voice down.

She gently handed the sleeping baby over to Sazh and stood up.

"Sorry, Sazh, but I got to go." She stated quickly, turning to leave but then turned back, "Here."

She pulled out a walkie talkie and handed it to the dark skinned pilot.

"What's this for?" He asked confused.

"If you ever need anything, just call Maqui on that. He'll patch you through to me." She answered hastily, "Now I really have to go. Bye!"

The crimson haired dimensional traveler disappeared, leaving behind two men and a baby in her wake.

* * *

The ginger haired woman raced onto the practice field and skidded to a halt in front of her sister, Lightning, who had her arms crossed and did not look very happy.

"You're late." The elder Farron snapped coldly.

"I know and in my defense, I met Sazh." The red head replied.

"Sazh? The pilot?" Lightning asked seeking confirmation.

"Yep and his infant son, Dajh. I was late because I was getting his son to go to sleep." She answered.

"Did he have the dream like you suspected?" Her sister asked.

"Sure did. That only leaves Hope and I'm pretty certain that he had the dream too." She answered.

Lightning opened her mouth to ask another question when Artz's head set beeped. The ginger put it on and pressed the talk button.

"What's up, Maqui?" She inquired.

"We're heading out to the Northern Ridge. A feral behemoth is making a bee line for town." The techie informed quickly.

"A feral behemoth?! Bloody hell! I'll be right there!" Artz replied in shock, turning on her heel and jumping over the wall and onto the nearest building.

She wasn't surprised that Lightning was following her. The elder Farron commonly accompanied her on the more dangerous monster hunts as a liaison of sorts to the Bodhum Security Regiment. In fact, she was on her comm device reporting to Amodar about the behemoth and that they were on route to deal with it.

* * *

The members of NORA including their leader, Snow, were doing their best to corral the feral behemoth back towards the forest. The best they had been able to do was keep it from progressing any further into town. Maqui was batted away by one of its paw and sent flying. It charged at him and all he could was stare. There was no way he would be able to move out of the way in time.

Suddenly two figures blurred past him, zigzagging back and forth and striking the behemoth dead on, sending it crashing back towards the forest. Maqui finally realized who it was that had saved him. It was Artz and Lightning. They stood at the ready as the feral behemoth staggered to its feet.

Snow joined them and got ready for a fight.

"Hit him fast, hit him hard, and try not to die in the process." Lightning ordered.

"Finally warming up to me, eh Lightning?" The NORA leader asked in a teasing tone.

"It would upset Serah and Artz if you died." She stated coldly.

"Life and soul, you are." Artz commented, "Here he comes."

The feral behemoth charged and the three of them charged as well. Snow went with a direct assault with his fists while Lightning and Artz attacked him from the sides. After a few minutes, the behemoth began to stagger and the three of them retreated back.

"Lightning, launch him!" Artz ordered.

Th elder Farron let out a battle cry as she raced up to the staggering behemoth and used her mana drive to give her the force she needed to launch the creature into the air with her sword. Artz raced up as well, jumping into the air to attack and starting striking the feral behemoth.

"Go faster! Go faster! Even faster!" She yelled her attacks hitting at a speed that was almost humanly impossible.

With one final crossed blow from both swords, the feral behemoth fell to the ground and did not move again. The ginger landed gracefully on her feet and sheathed her swords. She let out a deep breath to settle her heart rate.

"And that ladies and gentlemen is how it's done." She stated smirking.

* * *

The Bodhum Security Regiment showed up about twenty minutes later to clean up the mess. Lieutenant Amodar walked up to the sisters, a pleased smile on his face and a proud look in his eyes. Both women saluted.

"Sir." They said together.

"At ease." He replied with a slight chuckle, "You two did well today. Taking down a feral behemoth of this caliber is no easy feat."

"We were assisted by NORA and their leader, Snow." Lightning informed trying not to spit out Snow's name and for once, succeeded.

"It was a team effort, sir." Artz concurred.

"Be that as it may. The two you have shown that you possess skills and qualities needed to command others and do so effectively. Private First Class Artz Farron, you are hereby elevated to the rank of Corporal Second Class." Amodar informed shocking the ginger haired woman and shaking her hand, "Congratulations, Corporal."

"Thank you, sir." She replied trying to restrain the huge smile that wanted to stretch across her face.

The lieutenant then turned to the elder Farron.

"Corporal Second Class Lightning, you are hereby by elevated to the rank of Corporal First Class. Congratulations." He continued shaking her hand as well.

"Thank you, sir." The pink haired woman replied a great deal more calm than her sister.

"Dismissed." He stated authoritatively.

"Sir!" Both replied saluting.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Seven: Skies of Wisdom! The last bit was totally epic! I decided to end it here because everything after this was pretty much the usual celebratory stuff and I really want to get to the next chapter.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Eight: Hope's Quest!


	9. Chapter 8: Hope's Quest

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! Sorry for the wait, but I had to give my hands some time to recover. They were hurting so bad from me typing up the prologue and first seven chapters in such a rapid succession, but I'm back and I'm ready to get the ball rolling again! *grins like a mad woman, an almost crazed look in her eyes*

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well. You guys are the greatest and I truly appreciate all the support!

* * *

As you probably have guessed from the chapter title, I am finally introducing Hope Estheim into the main story and subsequently his mother, Nora Estheim. It'll start out from Nora's perspective and eventually switch to Artz's perspective. Then do some flip flopping before finally ending on Hope's perspective.

If you were expecting a laid back sort of chapter for Hope's introduction then you'll be in for a surprise. This chapter will probably have the most involved and action packed battle scene thus far. It will quiet down near the end, but still, I'm pretty certain that at least half of this chapter will be a battle scene with character development mixed in for good measure.

* * *

And here we are again. The dreaded disclaimer that makes me want to scream. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. Nor do I own anything else I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz Farron, and the insane plot line that I'm weaving throughout the original story line.

Hope: I think the readers are getting impatient, Artz. *gesturing behind her*

Lady Artz: *finally notices all the death glares directed at her from the readers* Uh…*chuckles nervously* On with the show? *they continue to glare* Fine then! On with the show! *grabs Hope and hides behind her computer*

* * *

Chapter Eight: Hope's Quest

* * *

Nora Estheim, mother of Hope Estheim, watched her head strong and determined little boy question yet another shop keeper. Her son had been asking every person he met since they arrived in the seaside town of Bodhum about a crimson haired woman named Artz. He was absolutely determined to find her and wasn't going to stop for anything or anyone.

For the last six months, he had been obsessed with finding the woman he had seen only once in a dream, insisting that she was real and that he needed to find her. The young looking mother had been supportive of her son's quest, but his father had been less than enthused with the boy's relentless search for a 'made up' girl.

The Estheim household used to run like a well greased engine, every gear turning like it was supposed to, but ever since Hope's dream, things had become rather volatile. Hope and his father had consistently been at odds, arguing practically every day and now her son firmly believed that his father would never listen to him and didn't care about him at all.

Nora had done her best to keep the peace between them, but she was actually beginning to fight with her husband as well. She understood where he was coming from and why he felt they way he did, but the mother believed that her son's dream girl was actually real, especially after hearing a rumor about a woman matching Artz's description from one of the Guardian Corps officers that had recently returned from a mission near Bodhum.

As soon as she learned all she could from the officer, she raced home to tell her son. Fortunately, Hope's father was at work and would be at the office well into the night, maybe even into the early morning hours. Once her son heard her tale, they boarded the first available express train and came to the quaint and peaceful seaside town of Bodhum.

Upon arriving, her son bolted from the terminal, asking the service desk where the best location would be to find someone. The attendant had designated the shopping center as being the central hub of the social network in Bodhum and that if he wanted to find someone then he needed to ask the shop keepers. They knew just about everyone in town and would be able to help find who they were looking for.

And here they were, in the shopping center, asking every shop keeper about the ginger haired woman. In their quest for information, they learned that her full name was Artz Lanaria Farron and she was a Second Class Corporal in the Bodhum Security Regiment. They also learned that she was considered to be the second in command of NORA, a local monster hunting group that safe guarded the town alongside the Guardian Corps troops.

The crimson haired woman was both well known and well liked in the seaside town. She had saved many of Bodhum's citizens from monster attacks and even ran into a burning building to rescue the people trapped inside. She, her best friend, Snow, and her sister, Lightning, were considered to be the protectors of the seaside town; the Guardians of Bodhum, they were called.

She was pulled from her thoughts when her son set off like a rocket across the shopping center and into the main plaza.

"Hope!" She yelled rushing after him.

Unfortunately, all hell broke loose before she could catch up with him. People started screaming and running around, pushing Nora further and further away from her son and deeper into the shopping center. She heard a horrible screeching sound from above her and she looked up. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a large winged creature being back lit by the sun.

It let out another high pitched screech before swooping low, making everyone including herself duck in order to not get hit. Nora rose to her feet and tried to locate her son. She spotted him at the other end of the plaza and less than ten feet from the creature.

"Hope!" She yelled terrified, pushing her way through the panicking crowd.

The winged creature opened its mouth and started growing some sort of light ball. It aimed it at the frightened boy, preparing to fire. Nora pushed harder against the people running away, trying desperately to get to her son. She then noticed a blur in her peripheral vision. There was a streak of red darting directly towards her son.

The winged creature fired its attack at Hope and Nora screamed in panic. The blur came to a stop at her son, but that was the last thing the mother saw before the light ball collided with the ground. The resulting explosion caused a large dust cloud to form, the wind blowing outwards like a shock wave and making Nora cover her face to shield her eyes and mouth.

"Hope!" She screamed in worry and fear.

* * *

The dimensional traveler breathed a sigh of relief from where she stood on the rooftop of a nearby building, the silver haired boy in her arms. That had been a very close call. If she had been a second later, they would have both died in that attack. She looked down at boy who was staring at her, his face holding an expression that was a mixture of awe and happiness.

She frowned slightly, something stirring at the back of her mind. This boy…he seemed awfully familiar to her. Where had she seen him before and why was he staring at her like that?

"I found you. I finally found you. My Artz!" The boy proclaimed joy radiating off of him in waves.

The red head felt something strike her at her core and for some reason, she felt herself blushing. What a strange reaction? She took a closer look at the boy's face and she inwardly gasped, her eyes widening in realization.

"Hope! You're Hope Estheim!" She exclaimed a little too loudly.

"That's me!" The boy replied happily.

Their discussion was interrupted by the high pitched scream of the winged creature in the sky.

"Oops." Artz stated realizing that their shouting had called its attention to them, "Hope, get onto my back. I need both hands to fight."

The silver haired boy did as he was told and climbed onto her back, wrapping his arms around her neck and locking legs so that he wouldn't fall. The creature dive bombed at them, forcing the ginger to jump back to avoid being hit. She pushed the talk button on her head set, connecting her to the blonde tech expert of NORA.

"Maqui, do we have any intel on this thing yet?!" She yelled over the roar of the creature's wings as it rushed past them.

"The librascope is still downloading. Initial data shows it to be a wyvern or a garuda." Maqui answered.

"Which is it?!" She snapped jumping to another building when it tried to peck them with its elongated beak, "Wyvern or Garuda?!"

"Just a minute!" He replied the furious tapping of keys could be heard through the speaker of the head set.

"I don't have a minute!" She yelled jumping off the building she was on to avoid its bladed tail.

The creature's tail whipped back around and was heading towards her back in a slashing motion. She twisted her body around so that her front took the hit, making certain that Hope wouldn't get hurt. The tail sliced through her shirt and into her skin from her left side, through the valley of her breasts, and stopping at her right shoulder.

She twisted and flipped again to land on the ground. She staggered a bit and fell to one knee, her right hand pressing against the fully bleeding gash.

"This is my fault. You can't fight properly because you're protecting me." Hope stated sounding close to tears.

"Nonsense. I'm not engaging because I don't know what I'm up against. To rush in without any information is foolhardy, reckless, and could get me and everyone around me killed. I just wasn't expecting its tail to bend backwards that far because of how thick its scales were." She replied trying to ignore the pain.

"I got it! It's a cross breed, both wyvern _and_ garuda! It's resistant to all elemental damage except lightning!" Maqui informed over the head set.

"What about physical damage and status retention?" Artz asked getting to her feet and running through the alley to escape the now pursuing hybrid monster.

"Green light on physical damage, susceptible to poison, and capable of inflicting daze." The techie answered quickly.

"Clear the plaza. I need room to fight this thing." The red head ordered ducking to the right and down another side road to avoid the hybrid's bladed tail.

"Already on it. Yuj, Gadot and Lebreau are getting the people inside the buildings and off the streets." Maqui replied.

"Hope, whatever happens, you must not let go under any circumstances. Do you understand?" The ginger ordered glancing back and gauging the distance between them and the winged creature.

"I'll never you let go." The boy replied his voice filled with an intense determination that made her heart flutter in response, skipping a beat before returning to its regular rhythm.

She mentally shook her head and focused herself once more. She then jumped towards the wall, using her mana drive to bounce off the wall and flip backwards over the winged creature and land behind it.

"Hey ugly! This way!" She yelled running back towards the main plaza.

The creature let out a high pitched screech and quickly gave chase. She continued running, turning when necessary and giving a message for the blonde techie to pass on. When the plaza came into view, she withdrew her short swords from their sheaths and prepared for a hard battle.

* * *

Nora tried to push past the blue haired boy in front of her. She had to find her son. She needed to make certain he was okay, that he wasn't…that he wasn't _dead_. She'd never forgive herself if she had let her son die out there all alone.

"You've got to let me pass! My son is still out there!" She yelled straining against the blue haired boy's grasp on her arms.

"It's too dangerous! You need to stay here until Artz has taken care of that monster!" The boy shouted grunting from how strongly the woman was fighting against him.

"That's who my son was looking for! He was looking for Artz!" She cried out continuing to pull.

"Why was he looking for her?" The boy grit out, getting a better grip on her and holding her to his chest.

"Because he dreamed about her! He said he had to find her! That's why we came here!" She half shouted still struggling.

"Your boy…is his name Hope?" The blue haired boy asked an almost desperate tone in his voice.

She stopped struggling for a moment and looked up at him in shock, surprised that he knew the name of her son.

"Yes, yes it is. How did you know?" She asked quietly.

His eyes brightened and a smile appeared on his face.

"Artz has been waiting for him a long time, almost six months. That means that you're Nora, Nora Estheim." The boy answered seemingly relieved.

"Yes, I am. Please I have to find my son." She pleaded close to tears.

"Yuj, Gadot, Lebreau, did you find a woman named Nora by any chance?" Maqui asked over the walkie talkie.

Yuj kept one arm wrapped around the silver haired woman, giving her a look that promised that he would pin her to the ground if she tried to run, and pulled his walkie talkie out of his pocket to answer the blond techie.

"I've got a Nora with me right now. She's looking for her son, Hope." He stated calmly, keeping a close on the woman in question.

"Great! Artz said to tell her that Hope is with her and as soon as the monster is dealt with, she'll bring him to her." Maqui informed.

"Thank the goddess." Nora said collapsing into the blue haired boy named Yuj in sheer relief.

He managed to keep his balance and hold her up as well.

"Message received and much appreciated." He replied pocketing the walkie talkie, "See, Artz is looking after your boy."

The mother smiled up at him, tears falling down her cheeks.

"You're pretty strong for a girl." Yuj commented offhandedly.

"Moms are tough." She replied standing up straight again.

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler ran out into the plaza, skidded to a halt and then turned around, swords at the ready. Her breathing was ragged and heavy and her eyesight was beginning to blur from the amount of blood she had already lost, but she couldn't give in now. Hope was depending on her to protect him and return him to his mother safe and sound.

The wyvern/garuda hybrid soared high into sky, screeching loudly as it climbed higher. It then positioned itself into a downward spiral that Artz knew to be the move aptly named _Feeding Scoop_. Her eyes fogged over from the pain, her world beginning to spin. She was vaguely aware of someone yelling out her name. She wasn't sure if it was Hope or not.

Suddenly, the pain vanished as she was engulfed in a momentary burst of green light. Her vision cleared just as she saw Snow punch the hybrid creature away from her and Hope. It crashed into the other side of the plaza, struggling to get up. She looked down at her shirt; the wound, the blood and even the tear had disappeared like it never existed.

"Sorry we're late." Lightning piped up from next to her.

The NORA leader joined them on Artz's other side, already in a fighting stance.

"Apparently this thing had a mate and was wreaking havoc at the beach." He informed.

The red head smiled, realizing that the elder Farron had used her mana drive to heal her wound and repair her damaged clothing while Snow shielded them.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Heroes usually show up at the last minute." She stated falling in to her own fighting stance.

Lightning withdrew her gun blade from its holster, a smirk on her face.

"Let's dance!" The NORA leader shouted.

"I'll lead, you follow." Artz quipped back in a teasing tone.

She raced ahead and delivered a series of quick blows to the hybrid's wings and neck. She flipped back out of the way when it swung its tail to defend itself. The elder Farron rushed in for her assault, dealing a few blows before having to retreat hastily to avoid being pecked from above.

"This is thing is weak to lightning based damage. Also, no resistance to physical type attacks." The red head informed.

Snow smirked, bumping his fists together.

"That's my cue!" He shouted jovially, running up to the winged creature like the brash fool he was.

He sent a swift uppercut to its head before landing two square punches to its chest. He then jumped back, but had to dive to the left to avoid the wild swing of its tail. It was starting to get desperate.

"Artz, with me!" Lightning ordered charging at the creature.

The ginger haired woman followed her sister's lead, both activating their mana drives at the same time and unleashing powerful _Sparkstrikes_ to stagger the winged creature.

"Launch it!" Artz ordered preparing for an aerial assault.

The elder Farron charged up her mana drive and powered up her sword. She then struck underneath the wyvern/garuda hybrid and sent it flying into the air. The crimson haired dimensional traveler jumped into the air and started hitting the creature with everything she had.

"Faster! Go faster! Even faster! Starlight strike!" She yelled her swords glowing a majestic purple color as she landed her final crossed blow to the winged creature.

The wyvern/garuda hybrid fell to the ground and did not move again. She landed gracefully on the balls of her feet and sheathed her swords.

"Cool." Hope stated in awe, looking at her like she was some kind of warrior angel.

She smiled at him as she helped him slide off of her back and onto the ground.

"And the heroes win again." She replied winking at him.

He smiled a goofy grin at her, making her laugh.

* * *

Nora ran out of the building and into the plaza, making a bee line for her son.

"Hope!" She yelled.

Her son turned around and beamed at her.

"Mommy!" He shouted happily, waving at her but made no move to go to her.

She reached him and scooped him up into her arms, hugging him fiercely.

"I was so worried. I thought I lost you." She whispered tears in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Mom. Artz protected me from the monster! She's amazing!" He replied seemingly unaffected from the entire ordeal.

It was in that moment that the young looking mother noticed the crimson haired woman standing a few feet in front of her. She had sapphire blue eyes, an hourglass figure, and was quite beautiful. She was wearing a modified Guardian Corps' uniform and had two short swords hanging from her belt behind her.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Nora Estheim." Artz stated smiling at her, a knowing and almost wise look in her eyes.

For someone so young, she had such ancient eyes. It was a startling contrast to say the least.

"Thank you for protecting my son." She replied gratitude in her voice.

"I will always protect Hope." The red head stated like it was a fact of the universe.

The silver haired woman blinked at that statement, sensing some sort of bond between the ginger haired woman and her son. Whatever that connection was, it was incredibly strong and now she understood why her son had been so adamant to find his dream girl. The bond had always existed, ever since he had been born. It was only brought to light now because the dream had awakened it within him.

"Well, I don't about you, but I'm starving. How about we get something to eat? I know a great place down by the beach. It's called NORA House and Lebreau is the best cook in Bodhum." The red head suggested her eyes sparkling with kindness.

Nora felt herself relax completely. Somehow, that girl gave off a calming aura that soothed anyone and everyone around her. It would be difficult for someone to stay grumpy when in her presence for an extended period of time. Her charming personality was rather infectious.

"I'd like that." She replied smiling warmly at the ginger.

"Me too!" Hope concurred jumping from his mother's arms and taking the red head's hand, beaming up at her.

Artz smiled down at her son with such warmth that Nora almost felt like she was intruding on some kind of private moment between the two. It was a ridiculous feeling to be having since the red head was a grown woman and her son was still a child. She mentally shook her head of those thoughts. How very strange indeed?

"You got things covered here?" The ginger asked the pink haired woman with the gun blade.

"Yeah. You get some rest and spend time with your friends. I'll drop by later to check up on you." She answered smiling softly at the red head.

"Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." Artz stated her tone completely serious.

"Nah, she wouldn't do that. Then she'd have to find someone else to argue with." The blonde haired man commented bumping his fists together, a smile on his face.

"No promises." The pink haired one stated her tone deadly serious.

The crimson haired woman chuckled at the put out expression on the NORA leader's face.

"I just can't win with you, can I?" He griped.

"You can't win ever." The pink haired woman quipped back, a slight smirk on her face.

The blonde haired man's shoulders slumped in defeat as he sighed heavily. Nora watched the whole interaction with an amused look on her face. What an odd group of friends? It was clear from their interactions with each other that they trusted one another very much, no matter what the pink haired woman might have said.

Artz waved goodbye to her comrades and the two Estheims left with her.

* * *

The dimensional traveler walked along the beach, carrying a sleeping Hope on her back. His mother, Nora, was walking beside her, a content smile on her face.

"I can see why my son was so determined to find you. You really are an amazing woman." The silver haired woman commented.

"You're the amazing one. I don't know how you keep up with him. I got tired from simply watching him run around like a hyperactive chocobo." Artz replied with a chuckle.

Nora chuckled as well before falling silent.

"May I ask you a question?" She said suddenly.

"Sure. You can ask me anything." The red head replied looking at the silver haired woman.

"Why is it that every time you look at me, it's with such sadness?" She asked coming to a stop.

Artz stopped as well, looking down at the ground with her hair covering her eyes.

"We've talked about many things today. Me being from another dimension, the game called Final Fantasy XIII and my blocked memories…" The ginger started taking a breath to steady herself, "But there's one memory that isn't blocked. One memory that has been at the forefront of my mind all day. One memory that constantly appears in my sleep as a nightmare."

"And that memory is?" Nora asked gently.

The crimson haired woman looked up at her and the mother inwardly gasped. The ginger's sapphire eyes were swimming with tears and pain so profound that it made Nora want to cry.

"The memory of how you die." She answered her voice trembling slightly, "And how Hope watched helplessly, unable to save you."

Nora stayed silent, her mind trying to process this new information. Sometime in the future, she was going to die and her son would not only see her die, but wouldn't be able to do anything about it. To say she was shocked was an understatement.

This woman, the woman from her son's dream, knew how her life would end and was already filled with such sorrow and loss because of it. She looked into the ginger's blue orbs again. To carry the grief of the future was a terrible burden to bear and for someone so young to have to carry that burden, it was cruel.

"Tell me everything." She replied softly.

"Are you sure?" The ginger asked gently.

Nora dug deep into herself to find the courage and resolve to hear about her own death. She squared her shoulders, her eyes hardening with determination.

"Yes, I am." She answered.

* * *

That evening, Nora and Hope stood outside the railway terminal, preparing to head back to their hometown of Pallumpolum. The silver haired boy was having a hard time letting Artz go. He didn't want to leave her after finally finding her. The ginger managed to detach him from her waist long enough to kneel down in front of him.

"Here, I want you to have this." She stated pulling out a folded boomerang inside of a holster.

"What is it?" He asked sniffling and rubbing his eyes.

"It's called an Airwing, a weapon fashioned as a boomerang." She answered holding it out to him.

"But why are you giving it to me?" He asked confused.

She placed it in his hands and he nearly fell over. It was a lot heaver than it looked and he had to use both arms to keep from dropping it.

"I'm giving it to you so you can get stronger. The road ahead of us is long and treacherous. There will be many dangers and you need to be strong enough to protect both me and your mother. This Airwing will help you accomplish that. Practice with it every day until you can wield it with one hand. Master it so that you can protect the ones you love." She answered softly.

He looked down at the boomerang weapon then back up at her face. In his mind, she was asking him to become stronger for her; that she _wanted_ and _needed_ him to be stronger. This was a request from his Artz. He would do it for her. He would become stronger, so that nothing and no one could ever hurt his shining star.

"I'll do it. I'll practice every day. I will be stronger…for you." He replied his eyes hardening in determination.

She smiled at him and his face became really hot. He really liked it when she smiled. She was so pretty when she did. The crimson haired woman stood up, but the smile never left her face.

"Safe journey." She said softly to his mother.

Nora nodded and guided her son away from ginger haired woman. When they reached the door, he looked back one last time. She smiled softly at him and waved. He clutched the boomerang weapon under his left arm tightly and used his right hand to wave back. His mother lead him away again and the crimson haired dimensional traveler disappeared from view.

* * *

Lady Artz: Chapter Eight: Hope's Quest is over and done with! Whew! Talk about epic! I had a lot of fun typing up this chapter…at least until my hands started hurting again. What a bummer that was. Not to worry, the next chapter will not be nearly as action packed as this one was.

With that being said, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Nine: The Vestige! Stay Tuned!


	10. Chapter 9: The Vestige

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! So sorry about the long wait, but I have been having some major issues with my hands and the lack of reviews was kind of bumming me out a bit. Not to worry, because I'm back and I'm ready to move this story along.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well. Your constant support is much appreciated and I hope you all will continue to do so in the future!

* * *

In this chapter, things are a lot calmer than they have been in previous chapters. The reason for this is because there is a chapter coming up that will prove to be rather volatile and may just be a bit graphic. Don't worry, I will keep it mild and only hint at the true severity of what occurs.

Also in this chapter will be some of the ground work needed for not only future chapters, but for the sequel to this story. There will be a lot of new information in the latter half and not all of it will be true, but I will leave it to you to figure out what is true and what is false. *smirks, a mischievous look in her eyes*

One more thing, there will be some cameo appearances in this chapter. I just wanted to give them some air time is all. Can't exclude them, now can we? *giggles like a mad woman*

* * *

It is that time once again. The dreaded and very frustrating, Disclaimer time! I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. Nor do I own anything that I make references to.

* * *

Hope: Artz?

Lady Artz: Yes, Hope?

Hope: Um…I just wanted to point out that you forgot to alter the ages of the NORA members to coincide with the time difference.

Lady Artz: *blinks* Oh damn, I did forget to do that. Whoops, my bad. Just ignore it.

Hope: Wait, hold on!

Lady Artz: *sighs heavily* Yes?

Hope: Some of your usual fans were wondering when you were going to shed some light on Artz's back story. I mean, you've hinted at it a few times, but you never actually delved into her past that much.

Lady Artz: *stares at him for a moment* You make a valid point. Okay, here's the deal. I will have Artz do some introspection in Chapter Ten, not only about the past year in the Final Fantasy XIII verse, but also her own personal history and you stop pestering me so that I can get to Chapter Nine. So how about it? Do we have a deal?

Hope: *gives her a nervous look, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face* Did you have to sound like The Trickster when you said that?

Lady Artz: *smirks evilly, her eyes holding a wicked amusement* Perhaps.

Hope: *sighs heavily* Fine. I'll go keep Light and Snow from killing each other.

Lady Artz: *pats his hair* Good boy.

Hope: *gives her a dead panned look* I'm not a dog.

Lady Artz: On with the show!

Hope: *sighs heavily* I need a vacation. *walks off*

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Vestige

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Farron walked towards the looming structure, a determined look on her face. She had been meaning to visit the home of the Pulse fal'Cie, but she had simply been too busy to get over there. Today was one of her rare days off, so she decided to make the trip.

The closer she got to the vestige, the more intimidated she became. The structure was massive, both in height and in diameter. It looked a lot smaller when she had played the game, but she supposed everything looked less impressive when one viewed it on a television screen.

She finally made it to the base of the structure and looked up, trying to squash the fear that was slowly bubbling up inside of her. She knew that the main entrance was sealed shut and that no one had been inside it for centuries, but a part of her was still worried that there was Cie'th inside. If she found a way in, then she would have to face them on her own.

She was confident in her skills, but even she could be outnumbered and put into a world of hurt, possibly even killed. Not to mention, she wasn't entirely certain about how the Pulse fal'Cie would react to her intrusion. It could awaken early and start the chain of events that would lead to the Purge much too soon, possibly destroying the time line completely.

Her jaw clenched slightly as she forced herself to calm down. Thinking of the possible repercussions for this course of action would get her nowhere. She couldn't let herself be psyched out by her own doubts. She needed to have a lay of the land before the Purge began and the only way to do that would be to explore the vestige in its entirety.

She began her search around the base, looking for possible entry ways. Finding nothing in her immediate vicinity, she started to climb up the side. When necessary, she activated her mana drive to jump to the next level. This process continued until she was about half way up the structure.

She stopped when she noticed a discoloration on the next level up. There were shadows in a place where there shouldn't be. She activated her mana drive once again and jumped up onto the ledge. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a small crack in the outer hull of the structure. She took a closer look and she could faintly make out a room on the other side.

She frowned when she examined the crack further. It was rather narrow and slightly jagged. It was going to be a tight fit, but she was certain that she could make it. It was good thing she was so flexible, otherwise she would have to search for a larger opening. She began the painstakingly long process of squeezing through the opening, silently cursing the fact that she had C-cup breasts.

She grunted as she finally got her upper half through the opening, breathing a sigh of relief. She continued to get the rest of her body out of the crack, only to realize too late that there was nothing for her to stand on. She let out a squeak of surprise as she fell out of the crack. She quickly snapped her fingers, activating her mana drive, and propelled herself away from the wall and onto a nearby platform.

She landed but her balance was off, making her trip over her own two feet. She fell unceremoniously onto her backside and let out an undignified yelp of pain. Her sister would have scolded her for not being able to land more gracefully and her best friend would have laughed himself into an early grave if he had been there to see her brief lack of coordination.

She rose to her feet, dusting herself off and rubbing her slightly sore tail bone. She was pretty certain that she was going to have a nice bruise there later. She sighed heavily before looking around. She couldn't really see much of the room, her only light source being the crack in the wall that she had just come through.

She squinted, trying to gauge exactly where she was in the vestige, but it was pitch dark and she was quickly becoming irritated. Suddenly and without her knowledge, her eyes began to glow with a soft blue light. Her vision began to brighten and she could see everything. She blinked, not really comprehending what had just happened and simply assumed that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

She made her way down the path, pulling out a circular device with a small screen. She clicked it on and a holographic map projected out of the device. She was silently thanking Maqui for creating this portable map of sorts. It scanned and logged the surrounding area, saving it to a miniature hard drive inside the device, and was, by far, one of his most helpful gadgets thus far.

She took a look at the map and flipped through the many layers with her left hand. The device didn't show any movement pings, meaning that she was the only person or creature in the current area. The lower levels were clear as well which just left her with exploring the upper tiers. She made note of a set of stairs on the far side of the map that led upward to the next tier.

She deactivated the map before pocketing it once more. She started down the path again, taking the first right and continued towards the stairs. She glanced around at her surroundings, somewhat impressed at the design and architecture of the vestige. The place was expansive, yes, but it held its own kind of beauty. The structure was ancient and she could feel the flow of history in the air.

This structure had seen and experienced much, even making the transition from Gran Pulse to Cocoon. With the vestige, came a fal'Cie and two l'Cie. Somewhere in the gigantic structure, slept Vanille and Fang and she was determined to find them and at least say hello. She owed it to them to at least visit while she was exploring the vestige. They had saved her life after all when her power had begun to incinerate her from the inside out.

Speaking of power, Artz noticed the distinct lack of power inside the vestige. She would have thought that the Pulse fal'Cie would have reacted to her presence by now and at least send some kind of sentries to assess the possible threat to its existence, but since nothing of the sort had happened, she could only assume that the fal'Cie known as Anima was still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the intruder walking the halls of its home.

She finally made it to the stairs and she audibly sighed. She really did hate stairs, so tiring. Give her a hill or even a cliff and she would have no problem, but she kept remembering the obscene amount of stairs that had led up to Genkai's compound in the anime called Yu Yu Hakusho and how the Spirit Detective, Yusuke Urameshi had complained the whole time he had to traverse them. She definitely shared his disdain for stairs.

She begrudgingly began her ascent, feeling a little down. None of the shows or movies she had loved so much in the other world actually existed here. They existed solely in her mind now which was sort of okay since her discovery of her nearly perfect ability of recalling memories. The reason she called it nearly perfect was because of her blocked memories. Even after so much time, she still couldn't recall past Lake Bresha being crystallized and it was incredibly frustrating to say the least.

She finally crested the stairs, only to groan at the sight of another flight of stairs. Didn't the people of Gran Pulse know what an escalator was? Sure, they understood the concept of lifts and even some forms of anti-gravity platforms, but escalators…nope, no way. She trudged up the stairs, mumbling a few profanities in Al Bhed, a language she had picked up from Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2.

She reached the top of the second flight of stairs and breathed a sigh of relief as she came to another network of paths. She pulled out the map, activating the holographic projection. She frowned slightly, not seeing any indicators of Fang's and Vanille's crystallized forms. She guessed that they were on a higher level than where she was currently at. She moved the map back so she could see the rest of the paths. There appeared to be a ramp leading up to the next level and she did a little victory dance in her mind, highly pleased that it was not another set of stairs.

She deactivated the map and put it back in her pocket. She started walking, noting the many dead ins and minor platforms. She also noticed a few supply spheres, spinning and floating in the air. She decided to leave them alone, not really needing the items contained within. She also figured that it was best to leave them until the others had boarded the vestige in search of Serah.

She continued on her way, the sound of her footsteps being the only form of noise in the expansive room. Normally, she had no problems with things being silent, but being inside the giant structure that she knew would one day be turned into a battle ground had her a little edgy and slightly paranoid. Perhaps she had simply gotten used to the constant noise of the city and the chatter of her friends and adopted family.

She finally made it to the ramp, an uneasy feeling stirring in her stomach. The sheer lack of response from the Pulse fal'Cie disturbed her greatly. She reached behind her and touched the eight point star like brand on her lower back. Could she be a Pulse l'Cie and not know it? If that was the case, then why was her brand different from the ones the others would receive in the future? Did the different Pulse fal'Cie have differing brands from one another?

She lowered her hand, balling it into a fist. To be perfectly honest, she was very worried about her brand and what it meant, but she emphatically refused to let on to her friends just how worried she was. They were already worrying enough about her as it was. She didn't need to pile on her own worries with theirs. Doing so would be selfish and she refused to be a burden to them.

She took in a deep breath, forcing her mind into a state of calmness. She let it out and began her trek up the ramp, determined to finish her exploration of the large structure. She made it to the top and pulled out her map again. The device dinged twice, indicating that something was different about this level than the ones previously explored.

She took a closer look at the map, noting the two light blue dots. She tapped one of the dots to receive the actual scan results. A small square emerged from the dot, showing the results of the scan. According to the map, the dots were not an artificial creation, but it couldn't properly identify the substance that they were made of, simply stating that it was different from everything else within the vestige.

She deactivated the map and returned it to her pocket once again. She made her way to the central platform and smiled at what she found. There, on two separate pillars, were the crystallized figures of the l'Cie women from Gran Pulse. She walked over to the closest pillar and carefully made her way to the top.

Her glowing eyes took on a warm and kind look as she gazed at the crystal figure's face. She reached out with her left hand and cupped the figure's face.

"Vanille." She said softly.

She then removed her hand and made her way back down the pillar. She landed with a quiet thud and made her way to the second pillar. She climbed up this one as well until she reached the top. She repeated the same action, cupping the crystal figure's cheek with her left hand.

"Fang." She said quietly, almost reverently.

She didn't get the chance to climb back down as she had done previously because the ledge beneath her right foot crumbled and gave way. She fell backwards, having been completely unprepared for the sudden drop. She landed on the floor, her head slamming against the stone flooring rather hard. After the initial wave of pain, she blacked out.

* * *

 _Artz's eyes snapped open at the sound of waves crashing on the beach. She was sitting on the sand, just in front of said waves. She heard the familiar sound of beeps and whistles just before she felt something nudge her right arm. She looked over at her right side and smiled softly, seeing the dog like robot named Bhakti. She raised her hand and petted the metal dog._

" _Hello again, Bhakti." She said her tone revealing her amusement._

" _Decided to come and visit us, eh Artz?" A voice spoke up from behind the ginger haired woman._

 _The dimensional traveler let out a chuckle as she rose to her feet and turned around to face the two women from Gran Pulse._

" _I was in the neighborhood. Thought I would drop by." She replied a bit of sarcasm in her voice._

 _The raven haired woman chuckled, an amused look on her face._

" _How's your head?" She asked in a teasing manner._

" _I'll probably feel it when I wake up and have a nice bump as a parting gift." Artz sassed a smile on her face._

 _The two l'Cie from Gran Pulse laughed, quite happy that she still had a sense of humor after all this time._

" _So…" Vanille started off, prancing over to the ginger and taking her arm, "How have you been?"_

" _Doing pretty well. Kind of busy, but overall, I'm doing alright, I suppose." The red head answered shrugging her shoulders._

" _How's the training going?" Fang inquired as they made their way up the steps._

" _Pretty damn good, if I do say so myself." The ginger answered rather pleased with herself for all her hard work._

" _Have you been practicing using your powers?" The raven haired woman asked._

 _The dimensional traveler stopped short and looked at her with confused eyes._

" _Um…you never said anything about using my powers. Let alone how to access them in such a way as to not burn me alive." Artz answered inwardly shuddering as she remembered the intense heat that had felt like it had scorched itself into her very soul._

" _But Artz, you need to practice with it so it won't come as such a shock when you tap into it." Vanille scolded playfully._

 _The ginger haired woman blinked in mild surprise._

" _Vanille is right." Fang stated from the top of the stairs, "If you don't start using it now then it will come as a major shock to your system when you do finally use it and in the best case scenario, it would render you unconscious. If you're lucky, that is."_

 _Artz ran up the stairs to join the raven haired woman._

" _And how exactly am I suppose to practice with this power if I don't know how to tap into it in the first place?" She asked crossing her arms._

" _But you did it earlier." Vanille pointed out, joining them._

" _I did?" The red head asked in confusion, dropping her arms to her sides.  
_

" _When your eyes adjusted to the darkness in the vestige, that was you calling on your powers." Fang elaborated walking away._

 _The dimensional traveler trailed after her, still kind of confused._

" _But how did I do that?" She asked trying to understand exactly how she had tapped into her powers.  
_

 _Vanille skipped after them, taking the ginger's arm once more._

" _It was because of your strong desire to see that caused your power to react." She answered smiling._

" _So it reacts to strong emotions or desires, is that right?" Artz asked seeking clarification._

" _Yes and no. It does react to strong emotions and desires, but it's not the only way to tap into it. The key to your powers is rather simple and it's the strength of your will. You can mold your power by will alone, but it's going to take a lot of time and effort before it becomes second nature to you." Fang explained._

 _The ginger haired woman nodded in understanding._

" _By the way, how is that I can connect so easily to you two because this is the second time we've been able to share a dreamscape like this." Artz asked genuinely curious about this reoccurring fact._

" _No idea." The raven haired l'Cie answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders._

" _Best guess is that you're connected to us like you are to the others, but because we're in crystal stasis, it's different." Vanille commented walking away, her arms swinging as she did._

 _The dimensional traveler frowned slightly, but couldn't really dispute the younger woman's logic. She did seem to share deep bonds with all of the Pulse l'Cie, both current and future ones. Her thoughts were interrupted when Vanille started talking again._

" _It's funny." She stated suddenly.  
_

" _What's funny?" Artz asked confusion etched on her face._

" _In Oerba, there was this story about a woman from another world." Vanille started._

" _What did the elders call her again? The Star of Hope." Fang continued a rather wistful expression on her face._

 _The younger woman nodded, a smile on her lips._

" _According to the story, the Star of Hope was a powerful female warrior from another world." Vanille began._

" _It was said that she was this world's only hope for salvation." Fang continued taking a seat on the metal stairs leading up to one of the buildings._

" _But she was not alone. She was accompanied by a dark guardian, a man clad in dark clothing and armor with eyes that could pierce a person's soul." The younger woman stated leaning on the railing of the metal stairs._

 _Artz listened with rapt attention, incredibly curious and enjoying her time with the l'Cie women from Gran Pulse. It was such a rarity to hear them say anything in regards to their past and the dimensional traveler wasn't about to miss out on such a golden opportunity to learn more about them…even if it was just a story from their hometown._

" _According to the elders, this dark guardian was a warrior who fell in battle, killed by his own daughter who blamed him for her mother's death." Fang stated continuing on with the story._

" _They said that the Goddess of Death took pity on him and granted him a new chance at life." Vanille informed._

" _But in return, he had to serve her and be her constant companion…like a shadow." The dark haired woman elaborated._

" _But when the Star of Hope was brought to our world, she was all alone. The goddess felt compassion for the brave woman and sent her dark champion to protect the Star of Hope, to serve the female warrior as he had served the goddess." The younger Pulsian woman continued._

" _But what happened to this dark guardian? I mean the story sounds oddly reminiscent of what is happening to me and if that is the case, then where is this dark guardian?" The ginger haired woman interrupted honestly wondering about this dark clad warrior they spoke of._

" _Well that's just it. We don't exactly know what became of him. According to the legend, the dark warrior was like her shadow, only appearing in the most desperate of moments, but more importantly, we know what he does to those who dare to harm his charge." Fang answered a rather dark look on her face._

" _What does he do?" The red head asked quite curious._

" _He kills them." Vanille answered softly._

" _And rather brutally at that. He will not tolerate anyone causing harm to his charge. He would not hesitate to kill any and all who stood in the way of protecting his charge." Fang elaborated._

" _But he wasn't without honor. The legend said that he was very kind and noble, but he took his duty to the Star of Hope very seriously and that's why he wouldn't hesitate to kill her enemies." The younger l'Cie explained further._

 _Artz's face became deeply thoughtful as she processed this new information. The story was obviously about her, considering she was the only person to have come from another world. Most likely this legend was some sort of prophecy passed down by the Farseers, perhaps even by one of the Yeul's._

 _It had undoubtedly been distorted as it was passed from generation to generation, kind of like Chinese whispers and how things got more distorted as it was passed along, but even Chinese whispers had some truth to them. The issue was figuring out what was true and what was false, but at this point, it was impossible to separate fact from fiction She simply didn't know enough about Gran Pulse, the Farseers, or even this mysterious dark warrior that was supposedly her shadow._

 _Her environment began to fade around her, forcing her to refocus on what was happening._

" _Looks like our time is up for now." Fang surmised rising to her feet._

" _Do come visit us again, Artz!" Vanille stated happily, waving goodbye._

" _Try falling asleep next time instead of banging your head into the floor." The raven haired woman teased._

" _I'll keep that in mind for next time." The ginger haired woman replied a bit of sass in her voice._

 _The two women from Gran Pulse laughed before disappearing entirely._

* * *

Artz awoke with a groan, sitting up slowly. She had a pounding headache and she was rather stiff. She had apparently been on the stone flooring for quite a while, because everything in her body was aching from the weird position she had been laying in. Her head set beeped, indicating that there was a connection being made.

"Where the hell are you?!" The voice of NORA's leader shouted through the ear piece.

She sighed heavily as she put on the head set and rose to her feet. She pressed the talk button on the ear phone.

"I was having a very nice dream when you decided to wake me up, you stupid jerk!" She snapped wincing as she rubbed the back of her head.

She had a small lump protruding from the back of her head. It wasn't physically noticeable and it was definitely very tender.

"It's almost midnight and your sisters are driving me mad with all their pacing. You need to get back here pronto and take them home before I kill them both." He stated with extreme annoyance in his voice.

He was definitely agitated and most likely, they were prancing on his last nerve. She inwardly sighed, knowing that it was better for him to snap at her than at her sisters. Lightning wouldn't hesitate to slice him to ribbons and Serah was not above slapping someone when she was highly stressed.

Yuj had discovered that little fact when Artz went missing the first time a couple of months ago. She had gotten lost while she had been exploring the west side of Bodhum, still unused to much of the architecture and twisting back streets. The ginger had to stop herself from laughing at the memory. Poor Yuj, he had a red mark on his face for two days because he had teased Serah a bit too much while she had been worried about the dimensional traveler.

"You and I both know that you would never hurt Serah. You're crushing on her too hard to do anything to make her mad at you." The red head stated glancing up at the crystalline figures with a smile on her face.

Snow sputtered quite a bit and if she was a betting woman, she would bet that he was blushing redder than a tomato. The idiot still had trouble actually voicing his overly apparent attraction for the younger Farron.

"Look, I'm heading back right now, so try and keep your cool a little longer, alright." She stated softly, a bit of humor in her voice.

"Fine, whatever. Just hurry up." He replied quickly.

She disconnected the head set and placed it back around her neck. She looked up at her two friends still sleeping inside their crystal forms.

"I'll be back, I promise." She said softly before turning to leave, "And thank you."

She walked away, heading back the way she came. She would have to finish her exploration of the vestige another day. Her best friend needed her to save him from her sisters which was downright hilarious to the ginger haired woman. The leader of NORA could take on any form of monster yet he couldn't handle two women fretting about a family member.

She giggled quietly, shaking her head in amusement. She made her way back to the stairs and instead of walking down them, she slid down the banister. She jumped off at the end, landing gracefully on her feet with a smile on her face.

She eventually made it back to the crack that she had originally come through. She gave serious thought to making it bigger, but then decided against it. She didn't want anyone to discover the almost completely hidden entrance and gain access to the vestige prematurely. She managed to squeeze back through, her eyes ceasing to glow once she was outside.

The star filled sky greeted her and she took a deep breath of the crisp, salty air. It was actually a relief to be back outside. Despite how massive the vestige was, she had still felt stifled by the somewhat stale air. She clicked her fingers to activate her mana drive. She then jumped off the ledge, allowing the mana drive to slow her descent and cushion her landing on the ground.

She deactivated her mana drive and headed for NORA House. Time to save her best mate and face the wrath of her adopted siblings. She often times wondered if it was worth all the aggravation, but she simply shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. Yeah, it was totally worth it because it meant that they genuinely cared about her and for that, she was eternally grateful.

* * *

Lady Artz: There you have it! Chapter Nine: The Vestige is over and done with! I actually had a lot of fun typing up this chapter. Exploring the vestige and seeing a lot of Artz's thought processes was a lot of fun and then the dream with Vanille and Fang, simply perfect.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Ten: Anniversary! Stay Tuned!


	11. Chapter 10: Anniversary

Lady Artz: Hello ladies and gents and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! I am so sorry for the long wait, but I was having some issues on how to start this particular chapter.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well. All of you rock!

* * *

Now, in this next chapter, we will learn more about Artz's own personal history. It will be in the form of a dream sequence and be advised, you may need a box of tissues while reading it. Don't worry, this chapter won't be all doom and gloom. There is some good stuff too. Artz will recall a certain memory that I think you guys might actually find amusing.

Also there will be a party at the end of this chapter with lots of gifts and smart aleck remarks from our favorite red head, but there will also be a very special cameo appearance from one particular individual, who most likely will not be seen again until the sequel if at all, so enjoy the moment.

* * *

Now it is time for the horrendous and absolutely dreadful disclaimer. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. I do not own anything I make references to. I only own my original character, Artz Lanaria Farron, and the insane plot line that revolves around her.

* * *

Hope: Lady Artz?

Lady Artz: *groans* Can't I go one chapter without you popping up?

Hope: I would say yes, but then I would be lying.

Lady Artz: What do you want, Hope?

Hope: I ran across some of your research notes and according to most of the sites, Bodhum is an island…a rather small one judging by the pictures.

Lady Artz: You just had to bring that up, didn't you?

Hope: You'll need to rewrite the story.

Lady Artz: Heck no! Readers, for the sake of my sanity and the continuity of the story, just assume that Bodhum is the main city on a decent sized island with Euride Gorge being a train ride away.

Hope: So you're just going to conveniently forget that little detail and move on?

Lady Artz: It's a parallel world, Hope. Some differences are allowed.

Hope: Including the NORA members being the wrong ages?

Lady Artz: Stop pointing out all of my plot holes!

Hope: *dead pans* More like plot mistakes.

Snow: Give it a rest, Hope. We're supposed to be focusing on the story line that she's putting together. No need to focus on any minor hiccups along the way.

Hope: *crosses his arms* I'm simply trying to help her.

Snow: I know and trust me. The next Final Fantasy XIII story she'll do will be more accurate. She just wants all of her readers to see the insane idea she came up with.

Hope: *sighs* Fine.

Lady Artz: Enough talk! On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Ten: Anniversary

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Lanaria Farron was currently laying on a blanket on the beach and gazing up at the stars. Her cat, Merlin, was laying next to her. He had a white under belly, white paws, and the rest of him was a myriad of orange, tan and black. She had adopted him about a month ago after he had wandered into the NORA House.

All the NORA members had tried to catch him, but he had evaded them easily. He had sauntered right up to the red head and jumped into her arms. When any of the others had tried to touch him, he scratched them. Well, all except for Yuj. He seemed to be alright with the blue haired boy. Artz adopted him as her own and he wandered about wherever he pleased, but always stuck close to NORA House.

She stroked his head, receiving a loud purr of contentment from her feline companion. The ginger was mulling over everything that had happened in the past year. She had been in the Final Fantasy XIII universe for almost one year. Tomorrow would make it one year exactly. Her thoughts were interrupted by Merlin, who crawled onto her chest and laid down.

His constant purring and warmth was starting to make her drowsy. Her eye lids slowly closed, her fatigue finally setting in. Within moments, she was asleep.

* * *

 _Artz raced down the street, trying desperately to get home. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. There were police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and countless people hanging about. As she reached the barricade, an officer held her back, saying she couldn't enter. She pushed past him and he chased after her._

 _The red head dodged him effortlessly and continued her way towards her home. She could see the large billowing cloud of smoke coming from the same area as her house and she had the most horrible feeling._

 _She ran past more officers and managed not to run into any of the fire men. When she finally made it to just in front of her yard, she froze. Her house, along with her uncle's, was completely engulfed in flames, and even part of the neighbor's house was beginning to burn. She unfroze and ran towards her home, only to be grabbed by one of the police officers._

" _Get off me! That's my house!" She yelled trying desperately to get loose._

" _It's too dangerous! You must stay back!" The officer ordered._

" _You don't understand! My family is in there! My entire family! Let me go!" She screamed struggling even harder._

" _If there was anyone in that building then they were killed by the initial blast." The officer informed bluntly._

 _No, she refused to believe it. Her entire family could not have been snuffed out all at once. They were too stubborn to die. She fought even harder against the officer and finally broke the hold he had on her. She raced towards the place that was once her home, uncaring that she would die if she entered._

 _The officer tackled her to the ground, but was having trouble holding her down. Two more officers ran up and helped him pin her down. She watched as her home was reduced to ash. She was completely helpless, unable to a damn thing._

 _All faded into darkness and she could hear the sound of the rain. A new environment slowly faded into existence. She was standing in a graveyard, in front of several tomb stones and freshly covered graves. It was raining heavily and there were many people dressed in black and holding umbrellas while she stood without one and getting completely soaked._

 _The preacher droned on and on until he finally stopped altogether. People placed flowers on the graves as they passed, offering their condolences. Artz simply stood there staring at the graves of her mother, father, elder brother, her uncle and his wife and son, and her grandmother. She had even requested for their two cats, Slinky and Cinder to be buried with her family._

 _She wanted so badly to cry, but she couldn't seem to care. It was like she had gone completely numb inside, like she had forgotten how to feel. Perhaps it was a good thing, because she could hear the whispers of the people around her. They spoke in hushed tones saying that she was cursed and that she brought misfortune to all who met her._

 _Others spoke of how she was nothing but a burden to her family and that she was completely worthless. Some were even making bets on how long she would last without someone to care for her…like she was completely incapable of taking care of herself. These people were hypocrites. They offered false sympathy and relentless pity, but in truth, none of them genuinely cared about her. Not a single person cared whether she lived or died._

 _The rain slowed as the people began to disperse. It was not long after that they finally all left, leaving her alone in front of the graves of her family. She was alone now with nothing left. After a moment's thought, she remembered. She was not left with nothing. There was one thing she still possessed…her name._

 _At birth, she was given the name Artimes, but as she became older, she chose a name for herself and with that name came a promise, the promise of the Doctor._

' _Never cruel or cowardly, never give up, never give in.'_

 _It was the promise she lived by and it was the only thing she had left now. She would hold on to that promise and never let it go. She would forge ahead and make a new path for herself, even if she was all alone._

" _I don't want to be alone." She whispered her voice almost completely inaudible._

 _The clouds parted slightly as a beam of light shined down on her. She looked up at the sky in confusion. That light…it wasn't sunlight. It was something else, but what could it be?_

" _Come to me and you will not be alone." A voice spoke._

 _The light became brighter and her vision went white._

* * *

Artz bolted upright, her cat being tossed unceremoniously onto the ground. She was breathing hard and her heart was racing. This was the first time she had dreamt about that time and for the first time, she cried. She shed the tears she had been unable to cry for almost a year. She just sat there, crying silently. She allowed herself to show the grief and sorrow that had been contained within her for so long.

She jolted slightly when someone wrapped their arms around her. It didn't take her long to realize who was holding her. The gloves were a dead giveaway. The silver haired boy named Hope Estheim was the one holding her, giving her his strength and letting her know that she was not alone. He always seemed to know when she was at her lowest because he would always appear.

She allowed herself to take comfort in his presence and simply let the tears fall, finally releasing her deeper emotions. She would only do this in front of him because there was no other that she trusted more than him. No matter how much she tried to deny it, he was her Hope.

* * *

The silver haired woman named Nora Estheim walked through the quiet NORA House in search of her son. She had awoken to find him missing from his bed and she just wanted to make certain he was alright. After not finding him inside, she walked out onto the front porch. Her eyes zoned in on her son, who was laying on his right side, but he was not alone.

She walked out onto the beach and over to the pair. The ginger haired Farron had her head resting on her son's left side, but that isn't what made Nora gasp. There were tear tracks on her red read's face, but her tears had long since run out. She walked around to the ginger's right side and sat down. She pulled out a handkerchief and started cleaning the red head's face.

The dimensional traveler stirred and opened her eyes. Nora continued her work and the red head let her do it, not bothering to move. Once finished, she pocketed the handkerchief and looked at Artz's face.

"It's been a year since they died, hasn't it?" Nora asked quietly as to not wake her son.

"It has." Artz answered.

"So you were finally able to let go." The young looking mother replied.

"I guess it was time that I did. I don't need to be carrying that burden along with all my other ones. Even I would buckle under the stress at some point." The ginger responded.

"You're an amazing woman, Artz, but you can't carry the burden all alone. It would kill you." Nora stated.

"This is probably why I tell you everything. You know more about me than my best friend does, even more than my sisters." The red head replied a slight smile on her face.

"That's because you view me as a mother. Who knows…maybe I'll be your mother-in-law." The silver haired woman teased casting a knowing look at her son.

"Will you please stop trying to plan the wedding? He's just a kid." Artz griped a smile coming to her face nonetheless.

Nora chuckled softly.

"But all children grow up eventually, Artz, and you cannot deny that there is something between the two of you." She countered.

"Let him get taller first." The ginger replied not denying the fact that there was something between her and Hope.

* * *

The dimensional traveler and the two Estheims from Pallumpolum were sitting on the beach, fully awake, and the sun was now rising steadily into the sky. Artz was becoming extremely annoyed by the constant ruckus coming from within the NORA House.

"What the heck is going on in there?" The ginger asked rising to her feet and about to head inside.

Hope got in front of her, preventing her from moving any further.

"We're under strict orders to keep you outside." The boy stated making Artz snort at that comment.

"Since when do you take orders, Hope?" She asked about to step around him.

He wrapped his arms around her and looked up at her with puppy dog eyes, her resolve quickly deteriorating. Damn him and those eyes, he could get her to do anything with that look and he knew it too.

"Please stay with me…just a little longer." He pleaded really laying it on thick.

She caved within half a second and sat down on the blanket again. He grinned and laid down, his head in her lap. She absentmindedly began running her fingers through her hair, trying to think of something that would occupy her restless mind. She smiled slightly as a memory from a few months ago crossed her thoughts.

* * *

 _Artz was currently holding an electric guitar, making certain it was tuned correctly. Yuj was to her right, also with an electric guitar. Gadot was to her left, but he was holding a bass guitar. Maqui was standing in front of a sound mixer that was filling in for a drum set. Lebreau was next to him and she was in front of a piano. There were other instruments and such behind them._

" _So what exactly are you doing again?" Snow asked standing in front of them._

 _He, Lightning, Serah, and Sazh were in the place of the audience._

" _We are going to play a few songs that I wrote the sheet music to. Trust me you're going to love it." The ginger responded a mischievous look in her eyes._

" _Why are we here?" The elder Farron piped up._

" _Because every performance needs an audience, Light!" The blonde techie answered with his child like enthusiasm, earning a small smile from the trained soldier._

" _Hey I'm down with it." The pilot commented shrugging his shoulders._

" _You were just looking for an excuse to get away from your wife." Lebreau teased._

" _You said it, I didn't." Sazh replied making everyone laugh._

" _So what songs are you gonna do, sis?" Serah asked excitedly._

" _Now that would be telling." Artz replied coyly before looking over at the other musicians, "Ready?"_

" _Ready!" They chorused._

 _Yuj and Gadot started playing first followed by Artz's playing. Maqui started the mixer and added in the drums when necessary. They hit the main part of the song and Artz took the lead shortly before heading into her first solo. Their friends cheered as they really started getting into it. Snow bumped his fists together which brought a huge grin to the ginger's face as she hit the second guitar solo._

 _Serah and Sazh started dancing, bobbing and weaving to the music. Even Lightning was nodding her head, getting into the music. Snow joined Sazh and Serah with their dancing. Then Artz hit the third main solo and her friends cheered, especially when she repeated it. The song was beginning to end and the red head allowed herself to become one with the music, her head banging to the notes and her body swaying back and forth._

 _The song wound down to its conclusion and ended altogether. Everyone cheered, even her fellow musicians. They all clapped and she took a bow._

" _What was that song for?" Serah asked a big smile on her face._

" _Not for what, but for who." The ginger answered cryptically._

" _Who was it for?" She asked becoming excited._

 _The dimensional traveler looked over at her best friend, a knowing smile on her face._

" _Snow. It was Snow's theme from the game." The red head revealed making the NORA leader grin._

" _Figures." Lightning mumbled rather loudly._

" _Oh come on, you loved it." He teased._

" _Hmph. I liked seeing Artz happy, not listening to your ridiculous theme song." The elder Farron snapped coldly._

" _Yeah, I'm not listening, because I know you loved it. You even cracked a smile." Snow replied completely unfazed by her harshness._

" _You're an idiot." The pink haired woman stated like it was a fact of the universe._

" _Aren't we all?" Artz commented humor in her eyes._

 _This got a laugh out of everyone, even the elder Farron let out a small chuckle. The group of friends then decided to continue playing songs from the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy._

* * *

"Artz!" Lightning called breaking the dimensional traveler out of her thoughts.

The red head tilted her head back so she could see her sister.

"It's time." Her sister stated nodding towards the door.

Hope stood up quickly and dragged Artz to her feet. Both he and his mother took one of her hands and pulled her towards the NORA House. She was told to close her eyes and they pulled her up the stairs, making her trip on the stairs but she regained her balance quickly. The two Estheims and her sister, Lightning, guided her inside the building and she could hear muffled giggling and people shushing each other.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Hope informed happily.

The crimson haired dimensional traveler opened her eyes to see the main room decked out for a party. There were streamers and balloons all over the place and across the back wall was a banner saying 'Happy One Year Anniversary, Artz!'.

"Surprise!" Her friends chorused from her right.

She looked over to see them standing around a table piled with gifts. Everyone was there; Maqui, Lebreau, Yuj, Gadot, Snow, Lightning, Serah, Sazh, Dajh, Nora, and Hope. All of her friends, the people she viewed as her family had thrown her a party to celebrate the anniversary of her coming to their world. She was incredibly touched and she felt herself beginning to tear up.

"No, no, no! Don't cry!" Hope exclaimed in a panic.

"It's okay. These are tears of joy." She replied as the tears fell, "I'm very happy."

Nora walked over to her and pulled out her handkerchief once again, cleaning the ginger's face.

"No more tears, little one." She said softly, " It's time to open your gifts."

"But I don't need any gifts. Just having them do this is more than enough." The red head replied still a bit choked up by the gesture.

Snow came forward and slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Well tough luck, you're getting gifts anyway. So hurry up and open them already." He stated dragging her over to the table.

She slung his arm off and shoved him into Gadot playfully. She then turned to the table wondering which one she should open first.

"Here! Open this one!" Maqui piped up, pushing a square box into her hands.

"Hey, no fair!" Yuj complained.

"It's fine. I didn't know what to open first, so this works." The ginger placated.

She untied the strings and lifted the box lid to discover a disc marked as 'FFXIII, XIII-2, XIII-3'.

"Maqui, is this…" Artz started surprised.

"It's all the songs from the soundtracks that we did together. I thought you might like your own personal copy to listen to whenever you wanted." He finished looking rather pleased with himself.

"Maqui, you're the best!" She replied happily before reaching across the table and pulling him to her, planting a kiss on his cheek.

The blonde techie went beet red as she released him to fawn over her new music.

"Open mine next." Yuj stated giving her a rectangular box about the size of a large book.

It wasn't heavy so it wasn't a book or some kind of electronic device. She opened it and discovered a set of clothes. The entire ensemble was a dark red that wouldn't clash with her hair. The pants were normal but she was pretty certain that they would show off the fact that she had hips. The boots were leather but had a silver band around the ankle with a blue jewel, the same color as her eyes, embedded in the band.

The long sleeved top caused her some confusion at first, but then she realized that it was cut in such a way to reveal the brand on her back but not expose her entire mid section. The belt was silver with places to attach her swords, pouch, and other such accoutrements. There was even a sleeveless leather jacket to round out the entire outfit.

She knew exactly when to wear this outfit. She was going to wear it during her journey with the Pulse l'Cie. It was absolutely perfect and she could tell that Yuj had taken great care to get it made out of durable fabrics. She looked up at him and smiled. He nodded and smiled back in understanding.

"Here ya go, kiddo." Gadot stated handing her a small square box.

She smiled at him before opening the box and revealing a bracelet. Upon further investigation, she discovered what it truly was.

"Oh my God, is this a titanium bangle?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Yep." He replied looking rather smug.

"Where the heck did you get the gil to buy a titanium bangle? They're not exactly cheap." She asked sliding it on her left wrist.

"Well uh…" He trailed off.

"Gadot here has been saving almost all year. He wanted to make certain that you would be able to hang in there long enough for the cavalry to arrive." Snow commented smirking.

"Your confidence in my abilities, Gadot, astounds me." Artz stated her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Everyone laughed, even Gadot, but then he told them all to shut up.

"Open Light's next!" Serah pleaded handing her a cube shaped box.

Artz took it and was surprised at how heavy it was. She opened it and found a sword maintenance kit nestled inside.

"How practical." She commented smiling.

"You need to keep your weapons maintained at all times. A poorly maintained weapon could mean the end of your life." The elder Farron stated.

"Always thinking of ways to protect her. Why not take a day off and let me protect her for a change?" Snow teased.

"If I left her with you for any length of time, she would be dead ten times over." Lightning answered but there was a slight hint of humor in her voice.

"Ouch, that hurts, Light." The NORA leader replied placing his hand over his heart, "Why must you wound me so?"

"Because you're an idiot." She responded with a slight smirk on her face.

"Alright, that's enough, you two. No arguing today." Artz interrupted trying to avoid the fight that would eventually erupt between these two.

"Guess that means we're up next. How about it, Dajh?" Sazh piped up looking down at the boy in his lap.

The small child pushed with both hands a rectangular shaped box, but it looked like he was having trouble getting it across the table. The red head picked it up and nearly dropped it.

"Blimey, Sazh, what did you put in this thing…bricks?" The ginger joked earning chuckles from her friends.

She opened it and discovered a thick manual. She pulled it out of the box and flipped through it curiously.

"It's a pilot's manual." She stated looking up at him in confusion.

"Well how else are you going to learn how to fly?" He asked a smile on his face.

"Oh my God, are you going to teach me how to be a pilot?" She countered in surprise.

"Heck yeah. I figured who else would make a better co-pilot than you." He answered with a grin.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed in delight, hugging the pilot with his son squashed in the middle.

"Alright, alright, settle down. You still have gifts to open and we're turning Dajh into a pancake." He replied.

She giggled as she released him and tapped Dajh on the nose, making the boy laugh. She then looked to Nora and Hope.

"Sorry, we didn't have any money left over to buy you a gift after buying the tickets." Nora admitted.

"That's fine. Simply having you here is the best thing you could have given me." Artz replied hugging Hope with one arm.

The silver haired boy beamed up at her, very happy. Lebreau and Serah presented their gifts together which were a digital camera and a digital photo album. They coordinated with each other, so that they wouldn't have to worry about whether or not she had to buy herself a camera or a photo album herself.

"I guess that just leaves me then." Snow stated handing over his gift.

"You didn't have to, Snow." The ginger replied.

"But I wanted to." He responded smiling softly at her.

She beamed back at him before turning her attention to the box. She unwrapped the gift carefully, not wanting to damage the holographic paper that sparkled and shined with many colors. She then opened the box and stared in shock at its contents. There, laying inside the box, was a stuffed animal. It was a light purple color and had floppy ears. Around its neck was a purple scrunchie with Jack-o-lanterns on it.

"Where did you get this?" She asked her voice barely above a whisper.

"From a girl in town." He answered a little worried about her odd reaction.

"Who was she? What did she look like?" She questioned a thousand emotions storming in her sapphire orbs.

"I never saw her before, but she kind of reminded me of Serah and Lightning. She even had the same colored hair and eyes as Light. Why?" The NORA leader answered starting to become very worried.

Suddenly, it was if time had stopped. The dimensional traveler looked up at her friends. None of them were moving or even breathing. She took a few steps back from the table, but nothing changed.

"Hello Artz." A voice from behind her spoke up.

The ginger haired woman turned around and caught sight of someone that she thought she would never meet, especially not at this point in time. The mysterious girl wore a black dress adorned with feathers, a long sweeper with a pink interior, a black hair band around her ponytail, a sleeveless halter top with a black collar with silver studs and a silver feather pendant, a lacy skirt, a long glove on her left arm, thigh-high stockings, and pump shoes.

"Lumina." Artz breathed in shock, "You shouldn't be here."

"Well, I would say that's the pot calling the kettle black, but don't worry, I'm not here for long…at least I hope not." Lumina replied smiling cutely at the red head.

"Why are you here?" The ginger asked starting to get over her initial shock.

"Because I was sent her by you-know-who." The pink haired girl answered dancing over to her.

"Why?" The red head asked again.

"She wanted to apologize. What she asked of you was very selfish and she wanted to give you something to say that she was sorry." Lumina answered skipping over to the table and retrieving the light purple stuffed animal.

"Don't touch him." Artz gritted out, her eyes flashing in anger.

The pink haired girl walked back over to her and placed the stuffed animal into the ginger's hands.

"I would never harm the gift that she sent me here to give to you." She stated before skipping back to the entrance of the NORA House, "Back in the other world, he was your most precious possession…your best friend. He was there when you were alone."

"How the hell do you know so much about me?" The ginger demanded her anger building.

Lumina turned around and looked at her with such sad eyes that the red head's growing anger vanished.

"The time line hasn't changed yet, you know. I still come into existence, but you…you can change that." She replied completely ignoring her question.

"Do you want me to change it, Lumina? Make it so that you are never to be created in the first place? Is that what you wish?" Artz asked quietly.

"I want to stay where I am now." She answered looking over at the elder Farron still frozen in time.

"I understand. I will mend the rifts and make a better future…for everyone. I promise." The red head replied.

"Do you ever regret coming here?" Lumina asked looking back at her.

"Not for a second." Artz answered smiling.

The pink haired girl smiled brightly at her.

"Don't forget your promise, Artz." Lumina stated as she disappeared into a swirling black cloud of Chaos.

"Goodbye, Lumina." The ginger replied as time began again.

Her friends freaked out a little at her sudden disappearance and reappearance. They fired question after question at her, but she simply smiled, holding the stuffed animal closer to her.

"There is something I want you to know. This is Purple, back in the other world, he was my only friend, my best friend. He was there to catch my tears, the only one to see me cry. Then I lost it all in one fell swoop. My entire world had shattered in a single day and yet I didn't give up hope, but I didn't want to be alone.

Then I came here and now I have all of you. Friends who have stuck by me, worried about me, cared for me. I don't regret coming to this world because I got to meet all of you and for once in my life, I have found true happiness. I want you all to know that I love you, all of you. You are my family." She said softly, her voice full of gratitude and honesty.

Hope was the first to launch himself at the dimensional traveler. He was soon followed by his mother and the others followed their lead which led to massive group hug with the ginger haired woman locked in the center, laughing hysterically. The others laughed too, even Lightning, who looked to be genuinely smiling though Artz doubted that anyone actually noticed this fact except her.

This was her home, this was her family, and this was where she truly belonged.

* * *

Lady Artz: Whew! Chapter Ten: Anniversary is over and done with! Blimey, over five thousand words! I swear these chapters are getting longer and longer. So what did you guys think of Lumina's appearance, hm? Personally, I thought it was a stroke of genius, but you may have a difference in opinion which is cool.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Eleven: Artz's Vacation! Stay tuned!


	12. Chapter 11: Artz's Vacation

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to _Star of Hope_! I decided to go ahead and update since I know basically everything I want to happen in this next chapter.

Many thanks and much love to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story and all of my other ones as well! You guys are the best and I really appreciate the support!

* * *

Now, this next chapter will probably leave some of you confused because you'll have no idea why a certain someone will be acting so weird, but trust me, it gets explained once we hit the main story line of the game.

Also, we will see just how strong the bond between Hope and Artz actually is and we will have a bit of introspection on Nora's part. I'm making Nora to be more perceptive and intuitive and really diving into her character because I always loved Nora and sorely missed her when she was gone in the game.

* * *

Hope: You really like my mom, don't you?

Lady Artz: *smiles* Of course. Your mom is really cool, especially when she says 'Moms are tough'. I have a deep respect for Nora Estheim.

Hope: *beams* Yeah, my mom is pretty cool, but where are you going in this chapter? I mean, it does say 'vacation' in the chapter title.

Lady Artz: To see you, of course.

Hope: *shocked* Artz is coming to Pallumpolum?!

Lady Artz: *punches the air* That's right!

Hope: *frowns in thought* Why do I get the feeling that you are scheming something?

Lady Artz: *smirks, mischief dancing her eyes* Oh my dear Hope…I'm always scheming something.

Hope: I knew it. *sighs heavily* Let me do the disclaimer, so we can find out what exactly you're up to.

Lady Artz: Take it away, Hope!

Hope: *sighs again* Lady Artimes Blaine does not own anything in the Final Fantasy XIII franchise nor does she own anything in regards to Final Fantasy XIII-2 or Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. She also does not own anything she makes references to, mainly anime and Doctor Who.

Lady Artz: *blinks* Well that was a bit fancier than normal and a bit wordy too.

Hope: *gives her a dead panned look* You're one to talk, Lady Artz.

Lady Artz: *shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly* Whatever. *then becomes super excited* On with the show!

Hope: I think I need a vacation as much as Artz does. *walks away*

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Artz's Vacation

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz stood on the roof of the home she and her adopted siblings shared. She gazed out at the city, a distant look in her sapphire eyes. Her elder sister, Lightning, walked up behind her and crossed her arms.

"You had another nightmare." The elder Farron stated rather than asked.

"Sorry if I woke you." Artz apologized not looking away from the city.

"Was it the Purge?" Lightning asked softly.

"Nora." The ginger answered quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

The pinked haired woman walked forward a few steps so that she stood directly beside her troubled sibling.

"Go to Pallumpolum." She stated.

"Why?" The red head countered.

"Because you need him." Lightning answered.

"No." The ginger replied firmly.

The elder Farron looked over at her sister.

"You need him." She repeated.

"I will not treat Hope as a means to chase away my nightmares." Artz snapped finally looking away from the city to glare at her sibling.

"He is your hope, Artz. When he's with you, things are better and you know it." Lightning replied calmly.

The dimensional traveler shook her head before looking back out at the city.

"I can't leave the city. There's too much to do." Artz responded sounding very tired.

"You don't have a choice." The elder Farron countered.

"And why not?" The ginger asked humoring her sister.

"Because Lieutenant Amodar has put you in for two weeks of vacation, effective tomorrow morning and if you return to base or do anything that would be considered work, he will throw you in the brig for insubordination and leave you there for three months." Lightning answered a great deal of humor in her voice.

The crimson haired woman let out a soft chuckle.

"Damn him and damn you. No doubt you put him up to it." The red head replied.

"I'm not the only one who asked him to give you some time off. Serah, Sazh, and even Snow petitioned for you to receive a proper vacation." The elder Farron informed a slight smile on her face.

The woman from another world sighed softly, her eyes revealing her exhaustion.

"Fine. I will go to Pallumpolum and spend my vacation with Hope and Nora. Happy?" The ginger replied conceding defeat.

"No, you haven't left yet." Lightning stated cheekily.

Artz let out a burst of laughter. She really did enjoy these rare moments when her sister let that quick wit of hers come out.

"I'll go pack." The red head replied jumping off the roof and heading indoors.

The pinked haired soldier remained on the roof, a rather pensive look on her face. Whether Artz said it or not, she was exhausted and they all knew it. She pushed herself so hard every day; to train, to learn, to help, and to simply feel like she was being useful. It wouldn't be such a big deal if the woman actually got proper sleep, but her nightmares or rather _night terrors_ were preventing her from getting more than four hours of sleep at most every night.

Her siblings and her friends were very worried about her and knew that she would continue to push herself unless they intervened which was why they had all gone to Amodar as a group…as a family to ask for his help. The lieutenant was more than happy to oblige in their request because he too cared about Artz as a comrade and as a friend.

They all agreed that the ginger's best chance of relieving some of the pressure that was building up inside of her was to send her to Pallumpolum, to Hope. None of them could truly understand the intensity of the bond that the young Estheim and the dimensional traveler shared, but they certainly knew the effects. They had all seen how Hope, time and again, had gotten Artz to smile and relax. He had a special power over her and that power was needed, now more than ever.

* * *

The next morning, the crimson haired dimensional traveler exited the train station in Pallumpolum. She looked around at the people passing by her, an odd sense of dread falling over her. She shook off the feeling as she left the terminal, making her way towards Felix Heights. The moment she stepped into the shopping district, her mind was overcome with a series of images.

Her eyes widened as she watched the images. PSICOM was in Pallumpolum and people were running and screaming. There were explosions and gunfire.

'I am a Pulse l'Cie and I'm gonna kill you all!'

Snow's voice rang out in her head, followed by more screaming.

'Sorry.'

Hope's voice whispered in her mind as an image of him placing a doll on a collapsed beam flittered across her mind. Her breathing became shallower as her heart beat accelerated, pounding harshly against her chest. She grabbed her head in an effort to make the images stop and when they did finally cease, she fell to her knees.

She heard people whispering, wondering if she was having some kind of seizure and if they needed to get help. She closed her eyes and focused on calming her breathing and heart rate. After a few moments, her body calmed and relaxed, allowing her to stand to her feet once more. She looked over at the people who were staring at her with concern in their eyes, but it wasn't concern driven by fear, but genuine concern.

"Sorry about that. Massive headache from being on the train for so long, got really dizzy." She reassured smiling at them.

Many of them breathed a sigh of relief and went on their way. Others asked if she needed something to drink or if she needed to sit down. She was warmed by how much these people seemed to actually care. She could see it in their eyes. They were actually very decent people.

She bid goodbye to them after receiving a few phone numbers and starting a few new friendships. She started her way through the shopping center, mulling over what had happened to her earlier. Those images were computer generated, meaning they had to have come from the game. This meant that at some point Snow and the others would come to Pallumpolum, but why didn't she remember fully?

Perhaps the location was only part of the equation when it came to unlocking her blocked memories. She believed that the other half of the equation was time and because she was too early for the memories to be unlocked, she got flooded with those fast flying images, overloading her senses and forcing her body to react to the rather violent surge in her mind.

There was one thing she knew for certain…things were going to get really bad in the capital of commerce. Both PSICOM and the Guardian Corps were working together and there were machina and assault ships. They had been pulling out all the stops to put an end to the l'Cie threat and it was going to turn this beautiful town into a war zone of epic proportions.

She pushed away those thoughts, knowing it would drag her into a depression. She was supposed to be on vacation which meant that she was not allowed to think about such dark and twisted things. She was going to set aside the past and the future and focus solely on having a good time with her friends. After all, that was why she came to Pallumpolum in the first place.

She looked around, unsure of where she was. Pallumpolum was a lot bigger than how it was depicted in the game and she had no clue how to get to Felix Heights. She walked over to a nearby shopkeeper, an elderly man with a kind face and wise looking eyes.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you direct me to the housing complex called Felix Heights?" She asked politely.

The elderly man let out a soft chuckle, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I'm afraid that you're on the wrong side of town, missy." The shopkeeper informed.

The ginger's face morphed into one of shock. Just how far had she wondered while being lost in her thoughts?

"You looked like you were thinking about something rather hard, so it's not surprising that you wound up all the way out here. Tell ya what. You buy something from my tiny shop to make this old man happy and I'll give you a map of the city. Sound fair?" He offered giving her a smile.

Artz chuckled, finding the shopkeeper to be quite the character.

"Sure, let's see what you've got." She replied giving him a warm smile.

His eyes lit up and he quickly led her to the displays. He had been right when he said his shop was tiny. There were two long displays and one short display, the cash register being on top of the short one. The place could have been considered _a hole in the wall_ , but she found it to be rather homey and welcoming. It felt less stifling and generic in comparison to its corporate brethren.

She looked through the display cases, noting many things that people wouldn't normally find in the larger and more funded stores. She caught sight of a necklace that she recognized from the game. It was the one Nora was wearing when she had joined up with Snow. It was laying on a handkerchief that was just as familiar as the necklace. Hope wore it around his neck during his journey as a l'Cie.

"I'll take the necklace and the handkerchief it's on." She stated pointing to them in the display case.

The shopkeeper pulled them out and brought them to the short display case, setting them next to the cash register.

"Anything else catch your eye, little lady?" He asked looking up at her.

She continued to peruse the rest of the case, finding nothing. She then turned around and began looking through the contents of the other one. She found nothing in particular in the other case and walked over the short one, the shopkeeper watching her with kind yet knowing eyes.

"I think that's everything." She answered resting her hands on the case.

She glanced down at the case below her and her eyes widened.

"Hold up…is that an Entite Ring?" She asked shock written all over her face.

"Ah yes, I do believe that is what the hunters called it. Would you like it as well?" The shopkeeper answered his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Yes please." She replied a smile beginning to form on her face.

He removed it from the case and handed it to her. She held it in the palm of her hand, marveling at the incredible find. He rang up her purchases and she paid him. She slipped the ring onto her right middle finger and took the small paper bag from the elderly man.

"It makes these old bones feel young again when I see a customer happy with coming to my store. Thank you for obliging this old man's request. Not many young folk like you who still listen to us old folk. Makes me mighty glad to have met ya." The shopkeeper stated smiling wildly and looking twenty years younger.

The dimensional traveler smiled at him, her eyes dancing with humor.

"Now about that map." She replied with a leading tone.

The elderly man chuckled and pulled out a small data chip from a box behind him and handed it to her.

"As promised, one map to the city of commerce." He stated jovially.

Artz pulled out the map device Maqui had made and inserted the chip into the side. The holographic map projected out and she frowned. According to the map, she wasn't that far from Felix Heights. She looked back up at the elderly man and shook her head at him, an amused smile on her lips.

"Sneaky, very sneaky." She commented earning a chuckle from the old man.

"Well can't blame an old man for trying, now can ya?" He replied completely unrepentant.

She deactivated the map and put it into her pocket. She reached a hand out.

"Thank you for your help, Mister…" She started but then realized that she didn't know his name.

"Samuel Montgomery, but call me Sam." He replied taking her hand in both of his and shaking it.

"Artz Farron, but you can call me Artz." She responded.

"Well you best be off." Sam stated releasing her hand, "Just don't forget to drop by and visit every once in a while."

"I will. You can count on it. Thanks again." She replied but laughed as he shooed her out of the shop.

* * *

The woman from another world had finally made it to the housing complex known as Felix Heights, but more importantly, she was standing just outside the Estheim residence. A part of her was regretting that she didn't call first to let them know that she was coming to Pallumpolum. The other part was a little nervous because this would be the first time that she would meet Hope's father, Bartholomew Estheim.

She wasn't entirely certain how the elder Estheim would react to his son's dream girl dropping by out of the blue. She highly doubted that he even knew that Hope had found her and that both he and Nora had been visiting her in Bodhum for the last year or so. She readjusted the strap of her duffel bag and pushed the door bell, hearing it ding throughout the house.

The door opened to reveal a man with brown hair and tired eyes. She wasn't really surprised by his somewhat haggard appearance. Hope's father worked for the Sanctum and in her previous discussions with Nora, she knew that he worked long hours and sometimes all nighters as well.

"Can I help you?" He asked slightly weary.

She was still in her Guardian Corps uniform so this probably put him a little on edge. Damn it, she should have changed while on the train, but she had fallen asleep from sheer boredom.

"Corporal Farron of the Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment." She stated deciding that she might as well play the part, "You are Bartholomew Estheim, correct?"

"Y-yes." He replied stuttering slightly.

She could see the uneasiness beginning to grow in his eyes. He was becoming nervous. Interesting…what did he have to be nervous about or was it simply that he was tired?

"I'm here to see Nora and Hope Estheim." She continued noting how the mere mention of his wife and son had made his eyes harden.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked his back becoming straighter and trying to come off as intimidating.

"Will you please inform Nora and Hope of my arrival?" She requested side stepping his question.

His jaw clenched slightly and she could see the nerve just above his brow tick slightly in irritation. Oh ho, so good old Barty didn't like it when someone doesn't answer his questions. His behavior was oddly reminiscent of a control freak, but who was she to judge? After all, she had just met the man.

"My wife and son do not know anyone in Bodhum, let alone anyone in the Guardian Corps. Remove yourself from my property or I'll call the authorities." He replied sternly, not backing down in the slightest.

"Perhaps this will clear things up. My first name is Artz." She informed noticing how his eyes burned with anger at the mere mention of her name.

"Leave…now." He ordered his tone full of venom.

"You really don't like me, do you?" She asked smirking slightly.

"I will not have you coming into my home and disrupting my household." He answered his face beginning to turn red from his growing anger, "Leave!"

Nora walked out of another room and into the hallway, wondering why her husband was shouting and saw the dimensional traveler standing at the door.

"Artz!" She called out happily, rushing past her irate husband and hugging the ginger woman.

"Nora, sorry for dropping by announced but Lieutenant Amodar forced a two vacation on me, so I figured I'd surprise you. Surprise!" Artz explained smiling at the silver haired woman when they parted.

"This is wonderful. Please come in." Nora invited completely ignoring the fuming man that was her husband.

"I only dropped by to let you know I was in town. I'm heading out to find a hotel to stay in." The red head replied.

"Nonsense. We have a spare bedroom you can use." The mother countered pulling the crimson haired woman inside of the house and past her husband.

"Nora…" Artz started trying to avoid the fight that was going to break loose at any moment.

"Hush you. I will not take no for answer. You are staying here and that's final." The silver haired woman interrupted in a motherly tone that left no room for argument.

The dimensional traveler shut up immediately, knowing it was no good to try and convince her otherwise. She was more stubborn than Snow and Lightning combined. Artz flinched slightly as the front door was slammed by Hope's father and he left for another room, much to her relief.

"Your husband doesn't like me, Nora." The ginger commented quietly as to not be overheard.

"He'll have to get over it, because you'll be his daughter-in-law one day." The mother teased.

"Will you give it a rest already?" Artz hissed blushing slightly.

"Hope! Hope, we have a visitor!" Nora called out.

The silver haired boy came thudding down a different hallway and froze when he saw Artz.

"Artz." He breathed shock and joy written on his face.

He bolted towards her and hug tackled her to the floor, making the ginger woman laugh in delight. Bartholomew watched from the other end of the hallway, his eyes full of rage. The trio continued their reunion, unaware of the silently fuming male.

"Hope, why don't you show Artz where the guest room is? I'm certain that she's tired from the trip." Nora suggested helping them to their feet.

"Sure thing, Mom." Hope replied ecstatically, taking the red head's hand, "This way, Artz."

The silver haired boy pulled her down the hallway and into the room across from his.

* * *

Later that evening, Nora and Bartholomew were in his study and things were anything but nice.

"I will not have that woman in my house." He stated firmly.

"What angers you more, dear husband? That your son's dream girl is real or that Hope cares for her more than he cares for you?" Nora quipped back, crossing her arms.

"We have no idea what she is truly after. She could be using both of you to get to me." He snapped.

The silver haired woman scoffed.

"If you actually spent some time with her, you would know that she doesn't mean any harm whatsoever. She saved Hope from a monster when we visited Bodhum last year." Nora replied.

"On a trip that I didn't know anything about and then there's the fact that you have been taking our son to visit that…that woman for over a year without telling me!" He yelled fully pissed off.

"I didn't tell you, because I knew how much you hated her. Ever since Hope dreamed about her, you and him have fought constantly. If you had just believed in him like I did then we wouldn't have had to hide the fact that we were actually searching for her!" She yelled back.

"That woman has brought nothing but upheaval to this family, poisoning our happiness. Don't you see what she's doing? She's breaking up our home! Turning us on each other! How can you trust someone so vile and twisted?!" He shouted.

"The one breaking up this home is _you_! Your anger, your jealously, your hatred! That is what is poisoning our family not her!" Nora bellowed making her husband shut up instantly.

Little did both of them know, but Artz and Hope were outside the door, listening to them as they fought. The ginger was close to tears and the silver haired boy was two seconds shy of storming into the room to yell at his father. The dimensional traveler pulled him away and back to the guest room, so they wouldn't hear anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Bartholomew left early for work, not wanting to come in contact with the crimson haired woman. Nora and Hope decided to spend the day with Artz and explore the city of commerce with her. They were currently walking in the lower district, heading towards the beach. Hope was ahead of them by a few yards, but always stayed within eyesight of his mother and the ginger haired woman.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that he hated me so much." Artz commented quietly as they walked.

"Barty is a stubborn man, I'll admit, but he does have his good qualities. Give him time. He'll come around." Nora replied trying to comfort the red head.

"I hope so. Not for my sake, but for Hope's." The ginger responded, "Some vacation this is turning out to be. At this rate, I'm going to flee back to Bodhum just to get some peace and quiet."

The silver haired woman chuckled softly.

"Perhaps Hope and I can make it better and since I have you here, we should start discussing the details; invitations, place settings, and the like." Nora stated knowing what Artz's reaction would be.

"Nora, for the love of all that is good, stop planning the wedding." The red head groaned shaking her head.

"Well, we'll want everything to be perfect for your special day." She replied in mock seriousness.

"I've said it before. Let him get taller first." The ginger responded trying not to smile and failing miserably.

"But we need to sort out all the details for when you get married!" Nora exclaimed continuing on with her ruse.

" _If_ we get married. That's even if we get together at all. Something as life changing as this is strictly between me and…" Artz started but then trailed off.

The silver haired woman noticed a faint glow under the ginger's clothing, originating from her lower back. Why was the brand activating now?

"…Hope." The red head finished in a whisper before taking off in a run.

"Artz!" Nora shouted in alarm.

* * *

The silver haired boy named Hope Estheim was hiding behind a wall in one of the alcoves, his heart racing in his chest. He had gotten separated from Artz and his mother and had the unfortunate luck to run into a group of Silver Lobos. He had managed to take out two of them with his Airwing, but that still left three and they were searching for him.

He was certain that he could take out at least one more, but he had yet to fully master the boomerang weapon. He was in trouble and he knew it.

'Artz.' He thought, wishing beyond all hope that she would miraculously appear.

He caught sight of one of the lobos racing towards him and he managed to roll out of the way, making it crash into the wall behind him. He pulled out his Airwing and prepared to fight as the other two lobos joined their pack mate. They stalked towards him, low guttural growls emanating from their throats.

Before he could even react, they lunged at him. The dimensional traveler suddenly landed in front of him, swords already drawn. She spun on one foot in a move that he knew to be called _blitz_. She spun twice, hitting each lobo as she passed and flinging them back. They staggered to their feet and made a quick exit, leaving the two of them alone. She straightened from her battle stance and she sheathed her swords.

"Artz…you came." Hope breathed as he slumped to the ground.

The ginger turned around and knelt in front of him.

"I heard you. I heard you call out my name and I knew…I knew you were in trouble." She replied looking rather confused by this revelation.

"I'm sorry. I tried to fight them off, but I'm not strong enough yet. I'm sorry." He said quietly, hanging his head in shame.

"Hey, the fact that you were able to hang in there this long is proof that you've come a long way since we first met. You've gotten stronger." She replied tilting his chin up to look him in the eyes.

"You really think so?" He asked not daring to believe.

"I _know_ so." She answered without any doubt.

A smile formed on his face which turned into a full blown grin. She laughed and helped him to his feet.

"Now let's go and find your mother. I left in a hurry and she's probably worrying herself into next week." Artz suggested smiling.

"Sounds like Mom." He replied cheekily.

* * *

Nora paced back and forth on the sidewalk, wringing her hands. She had lost sight of the crimson haired officer and now she was worried. She had never seen Artz looked so…so…she didn't even have a word to describe whatever it was that had happened to the red head. One second, she's trying not to smile, her eyes bright and full of humor, and the next second, her face was completely devoid of emotion, her eyes distant and unseeing…like she was no longer even there.

"Mom!" Hope called out as Artz shouted, "Nora!"

The silver haired woman turned around and spotted them running towards her. She immediately took note that her son's face was smudged with dirt and his clothes were filthy. She ran over and met them halfway.

"What happened to you?" She demanded of her son.

"Well…" He started fidgeting under her fiery gaze.

"He was fighting off some Silver Lobos that wanted him for lunch. Took down two of them before I showed up. He's getting pretty good with that Airwing." The ginger piped up, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Are you alright?" She questioned looking at her son then at the red head.

"We're fine, Mom. It was a bit dicey in the middle, but we took care of it." Hope answered holding his head high and his back straight.

The young looking mother stared at her son and it almost seemed like he was older, more experienced, and more like an adult. He seemed stronger than before, more confident too. She smiled softly before pulling out a handkerchief and kneeling down in front of him. She dampened the cloth her tongue and proceeded to clean his face.

"Mom…" He whined squirming in embarrassment.

"Your face is filthy." She stated relieved that he was acting like his old self again.

He was growing up fast, perhaps too fast, but she had the feeling that he needed to have a deeper maturity than others his age. After all, she knew he was to go on a long journey in the future and face terrible dangers and all to save Cocoon, but for now he was still a child and still her little boy.

* * *

The trio returned to the Estheim residence and Nora sent her son to get cleaned up. Afterwards, she and her son went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Artz was leaning against one of the walls in the living room with her eyes closed and her arms and legs crossed.

"We need to talk." Bartholomew stated as he entered the room.

The ginger opened one eye to look at him.

"Oh? What about?" She asked not bothering to open her other eye.

"I understand that you have formed friendships with my wife and son, but know this, I will not allow any harm to come to my family." He answered his eyes hard.

She opened her other eye to look at him fully.

"Really? You weren't there when Hope was attacked by a pack of Silver Lobos while in town. I saved him." She replied her eyes completely serious.

His jaw clenched slightly and his posture tensed.

"And I am grateful, but it doesn't change anything between us. Far as I'm concerned, you're the enemy." He stated firmly.

"It won't always be like that. You'll come around…eventually. They all do." She replied cheekily.

His hands balled into fists and his anger began to rise.

"I am not so easily persuaded by a pretty face or a sweet charm. People like you disgust me." He spat.

"No one's like me. I'm one of a kind. Just ask your son. Oops, that's right. You two don't exactly see eye to eye anymore. Something about how you never listen to anything he has to say." Artz snapped more than a little peeved with the man that was Hope's father.

He walked forward a few steps, but then stopped, seemingly trying to stay in control of situation.

"What do you know about family? Nothing! You're nothing more than a cancer leeching off of others for your own gain! I bet your own family wanted nothing to do with you! That's why you were adopted by the Farron's!" He half yelled before turning slightly smug, "Oh yes, I know all about you and your 'sisters'. You charmed your way into their life, convinced them to take you in, and then fed off them like a parasite. Even got one of them to get you into the Guardian Corps while you played hero with your pals down at that beach bar. You're nothing but a fake, using people to get what you want, and not caring about the destruction you leave in your wake. It's people like you that the Sanctum fights against. You never should have existed at all!"

The last comment struck a nerve so deep that before she realized what she was doing, she raised her right hand and slapped him…hard. It was so hard that the resounding clap echoed throughout the entire house. He turned to look at her and smirked, proud of the fact that she had tears in her eyes.

Both Nora and Hope ran into the room and both stopped short. There was Bartholomew, looking smug as ever, and Artz, looking like someone had just run a dagger through her heart.

"Get out." He said firmly.

"With pleasure." She replied her voice revealing her anger.

She left the room, grabbed her duffel bag from the guest bedroom, and then walked out the front door. The elder Estheim rubbed his cheek, wincing a bit in pain.

"What did you do?" Hope asked his voice oddly void of emotion.

"I spoke the truth and she didn't like it." He answered looking over at his son, "Stay away from her son. She destroys everything she touches and I won't let her bring you down with her."

The silver haired boy looked his father straight in the eyes.

"Go to hell." He stated firmly.

Bartholomew stared at his only child in shock. He had never once heard the boy curse, especially not in front of his mother.

"Excuse me." He replied slowly becoming angry again.

"You have decided everything for me for my entire life but not this. Artz is mine and I will never let her go." Hope stated in an even yet determined tone.

He walked out of the living room and towards the front door.

"This is absurd! You're going to choose some woman you barely know over your family!" His father yelled.

"Not over my family, just over you." The boy replied calmly before walking out the door and closing it softly behind him.

Bartholomew made to follow after his son, but his wife got in front of him, blocking his path.

"Nora, not you too." He said in disbelief.

"That woman that you are so determined to hate is the woman your son loves with his entire being. He would choose her over you every time. Now I love you, Barty, but you are forcing me into making a decision I don't want to make. If you continue to be against them then we're done." The silver haired woman stated a cold fury in her eyes.

"Nora…" He breathed in shock.

"She is good and kind and fair. She has done nothing to invoke your wrath and yet you are dead set against her. Tell me why, Barty." She continued trying to understand.

"I just…" He started.

"Just what?" She asked.

"I just want things to go back to the way they used to be…when we were happy, just three of us." He answered quietly.

"We don't choose who we fall in love with. You and me, we're prime examples of that. To this day, your father still hates me for marrying you. Are you really going to do the same thing to our son?" She questioned trying to make him see sense.

His eyes widened as he staggered back a few steps, realizing that she was right. He was acting just like his father had when he had introduced Nora to his family for the first time, but he couldn't let go of his anger, of his…jealously. He closed his eyes and remembered the look of pure joy in his son's eyes when he had spotted the red haired officer. His eyes used to be that way every time he looked at his beloved Nora.

He sighed heavily as his head lowered. He opened his eyes and stared at the floor.

"I can't make any promises, Nora, but…I'll try." He spoke softly.

The silver haired woman's gaze softened and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Just open your mind a little and she'll do the rest. She really is amazing." Nora replied softly.

"She better be. I will expect no less." He stated gruffly, earning a small chuckle from his wife.

* * *

The rest of the dimensional traveler's vacation was far less volatile and by the end of it, she and Bartholomew had come to a truce of sorts. He hadn't apologized for what he had said and she never asked for one. They just sort of avoided each other as much as possible and when they did meet, they barely exchanged a handful of words.

Nora and Hope would always glance at each other, wondering if it would always be like this, but the mother held hope that things would eventually get better while her son had pretty much severed all ties to his father on an emotional level.

Those two weeks had changed all four of them drastically and things would never be the same again. Nora and Hope saw Artz off at the train station while Bartholomew was at work. The dimensional traveler finally went home to the seaside town of Bodhum and for a time, her nightmares stopped, but nothing lasted forever.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Eleven: Artz's Vacation! Whew, that became a bit more dramatic than I expected. I mean things literally exploded in epic proportions. I hadn't intended for it to be so emotionally charged, but alas, what I plan and what actually happens are two very different things.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Twelve: Tradition! Stay Tuned!


	13. Chapter 12: Tradition

Lady Artz: Hello all you ladies and gents! Welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! I decided to update again since I have the events for the next two chapters pretty much planned out.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed and reviewed this story along with all of my other ones as well! You guys and girls are the greatest and I really appreciate all of your support!

* * *

Now, this chapter will not be as emotionally charged as the last chapter and mostly, it will be Artz coming to terms with what happened in Pallumpolum. There is also a heartfelt moment between her and Sazh. There is a minor plot device at the end of the chapter, but mainly it is to show the kind of friendship that Artz and Sazh have.

Yeah, okay, this chapter is meant to focus on Artz and Sazh because we can't have her spending all her time with Lightning, Snow, and Hope.

* * *

Hope: What about Vanille and Fang? Does she visit them any at all?

Lady Artz: Actually yes, but I won't be writing those bits out. Might do some flashbacks later on down the line, but Artz tries to further all of her friendships with the l'Cie before the Purge begins.

Hope: Will my father ever warm up to her?

Lady Artz: It takes time and one hell of an eye opener, but yes, he will warm up to her.

Hope: I heard rumors that a battle was going to take place in this chapter.

Lady Artz: Who told you that?

Sazh: *waves* Yo.

Lady Artz: Damn it, Sazh! That was supposed to be a surprise!

Sazh: Have you been on the receiving of that kid's puppy eyes?

Lady Artz: *opens her mouth then closes it* Fair point.

Sazh: Anyways, we need to get to the next chapter, so let's get this Disclaimer thing out of the way. Readers, our esteemed authoress does not own Final Fantasy XIII or anything else Final Fantasy related. She doesn't own any thing she mentions either. She only owns Artz and the craziness that follows after her like lost puppy.

Lady Artz: Authoress? I like that.

Sazh: *smiles* I thought you might.

Lady Artz: On with the show!

Hope: *sighs and just walks away*

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Tradition

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Lanaria Farron was currently jumping from building to building. She was on her daily patrol, making certain that no monsters were running amok. Her comm device beeped, alerting her that a connection was being made. She landed and put on her headset, pressing the talk button.

"Hey Maqui, what's up?" She asked glancing around.

"Heya girlie!" Sazh's voice rang out happily.

"Sazh! Hey, how ya been, old man?" She replied a smile coming to her face.

"I need to talk to you. Think you can meet up with me just outside the residential district?" He requested.

"Sure. Be there in about five minutes." She replied.

* * *

The pilot known as Sazh Katzroy stood on the sidewalk, waiting for his friend to arrive. He was a bit nervous because he had something important to ask her and he wasn't sure how to go about the actual asking part. Sure, he never had a problem with making people hear him, but this was different. Not only was it personal, but it meant a lot to him and even to his wife, who had never actually met the ginger haired officer.

He was hastily brought out of his thoughts when the said red head landed in front of him, making him stagger back a few steps in surprise. She straightened up and beamed at him.

"Howdy, old man!" She said happily.

"Can't you walk around like normal people?" He complained.

"Normal is boring." She replied with a shrug, "So what's up?"

The dark skinned man opened his mouth, but one look at her smiling face and he couldn't get out the words. He let out a long breath.

"Walk with me." He said instead.

She tilted her head to side, her sapphire orbs full of curiosity. Damn it, why was it so hard for him to just blurt out what he wanted to ask her? They started walking towards the shopping district, the pilot trying to work out the best way to ask her.

"Something on your mind, old man?" Artz asked glancing over at him.

"No!" He answered but then sighed, "Yes."

"You can tell me anything. You know I won't tell anyone else." The ginger stated trying to help him.

"I know that. It's just…it's not telling you something, it's asking you something." He replied.

"You can ask me anything, Sazh." She responded coming to a stop in front of him and facing him, "Go on. Ask away."

He looked up at her and into those blue eyes that held so many depths and layers. He opened his mouth, but closed it again.

"This ain't gonna work." He stated turning his back to her, "Damn it, I can still feel you looking at me."

The red head giggled and turned around, placing her back against his. He took a deep breath, forcing the words to come out of his mouth.

"Artz, will you be Dajh's godmother?" He asked quietly.

He heard her gasp in surprise and her body tensed against his. He waited with baited breath, his hopes being to fall.

"Are you sure?" She countered softly.

"You're family, Artz, and there's no one I trust more than you. If anything happened to me and my wife, I want Dajh to be with someone who loved him and would take care of him. That person is you, Artz." He replied his voice honest and without any doubt.

"What does your wife think about this?" She asked.

"She was the one who suggested it." He answered.

"She doesn't even know me. We never even met." She replied leaning her head back to rest against his shoulder blades.

"Please say yes, Artz. I know that it's tradition and you hate tradition. I know that what I'm asking is a majorly big deal and you have enough on your plate but…" He started trying to come up with the words that would convince to accept.

"It's that important to you?" She asked quietly.

"It is." He answered.

"Yes." She stated.

"What?" He asked in shock.

"The answer is yes. I will be Dajh's godmother." She answered a bit of humor in her voice.

He spun around, making her fall backwards as she squeaked in surprise, and she fell right into his arms. She looked up at him and smiled. He grinned right back before sweeping her off the ground and twirling her around, making them both laugh.

"Put me down, Sazh!" She yelled laughing.

He set her back on her feet, only to hug her to him. She was laughing so hard that tears were coming to her eyes.

"Thank you." He said softly into her ear, his voice filled with gratitude and relief.

She let out another small giggle before she got complete control over herself.

"You're family." She replied like it was a fact of the universe.

"Let's celebrate!" Sazh declared suddenly with his arms up in the air.

"I have to give back to patrolling, Sazh." She quipped but nothing was going to deflate his good mood.

"Nah, no way. Celebrate first then do boring work." He replied grabbing her hand and pulling her down the sidewalk.

* * *

The dark skinned pilot and the woman from another world sat at one of the tables outside a café. All sorts of foods and sweets littered the table and Sazh was chowing down like a champ. The dimensional traveler had her chin resting in the palm of her right hand and she was looking out at the street with distant eyes.

He stopped eating and watched her for several minutes. She didn't move, didn't speak, and hadn't touched any of the food in front of her and Artz was known for having a sweet tooth and an insatiable appetite. She just sat there with her legs crossed and her head propped up by her hand, the world passing her by and she didn't even notice. Something was bothering her. It was bothering her so much that she wouldn't eat or talk, two things she actually enjoyed doing.

"What happened?" He asked getting straight to the point.

"Hm?" She replied as if coming out of a daze and looking at him.

"You're tripping over something, Artz. Tell me." He stated.

"I'm alright. Don't worry about it." She replied uncrossing her legs and sitting up properly.

"You do realize that 'alright' is special Artz code for 'not alright at all', don't you?" He responded giving her a look.

She let out a small laugh as she picked up her fork and poked at a piece of cake that was in front of her.

"Come on, Artz. Keeping it all bottled up inside ain't healthy, kid." He continued trying to get her to open up.

She dropped the fork with a sigh and leaned back in her seat

"Might as well tell you, since you're the only one that probably won't jump the gun." She replied her eyes darkening slightly, "As you are well aware, I just came back from a two week vacation in Pallumpolum a few days ago."

"Yeah." He said nodding, "I'm guessing something happened, huh?"

"Yeah, something big. Something that I did not expect to happen and I'm not certain how to proceed." She replied her emotions beginning to surface, "I've never faced such opposition before. Sure, there were people who were weary of me and maybe slightly paranoid, but I've never actually met someone who downright hated me, despite the fact that he had never met me before."

"Who exactly?" Sazh asked trying to keep with her rocket fire speech.

Once the red head got talking, she was like a runaway train with no brakes.

"I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry. I met Hope's father, Bartholomew Estheim, and the man hates me. The mere mention of my name practically sent him into a rage. He and Nora were fighting about me that same night and then the next day, what he said to me…" She answered quickly before trailing off, her eyes becoming distant as she remembered.

Sazh saw the pain in her eyes, but also the anger. Whatever Hope's father had said to her had really messed her up.

"What did he say, Artz?" The pilot asked softly, trying to nudge her gently into continuing.

"He said people like me disgust him and I said that there was no one like me, that I was one of a kind, but then he started saying things like how I was a cancer leeching off of people and that I was a parasite feeding on my sisters…that my family wanted nothing to do with me and that I charmed my way into my sisters' lives and convinced them to take me. He said I was just using people and that I didn't care about the destruction I left in my wake." She answered in a rush.

"Can I shoot him?" Sazh interrupted his eyes filled with anger.

If he ever met this Bartholomew, he was going to beat the living daylights out of the man. There was no just reason to say such horrible things to the crimson haired woman. She hadn't done anything wrong and he didn't even have all the facts straight.

"Hold up, I haven't told you the best bit yet." She replied.

"There's more?!" He exclaimed wondering what else that idiot had said to upset his friend and co-pilot.

"He said…he said I shouldn't have existed at all." She replied quietly.

Sazh stared at her, seeing the intense pain and sorrow in her eyes. Now he understood. Everything else didn't matter, she would have simply took out her anger on some monster and be completely over it in no time flat, but this…this was what caused her to act so different. That singular comment had shaken the very foundation of her soul and hit her core so deeply that she was having trouble processing it.

He reached across the table and took her hands in his, making her look up at him.

"He never should have said that, because you should exist. Hell, the Goddess brought you here… _you of all people_. That means you're special and that you have a purpose for being here and as for your family; me and Dajh, your sisters, and your monster hunting pals…we're your family and we most definitely want you around.

He's just an idiot who doesn't want to see the truth that is smacking him in the face. Things are changing and he doesn't want them to. He's fighting against it and digging his heels in. He took it out on you because you have the power to effect change, to make things better. He's just being a stubborn old man, so don't let anything that jerk says drag you down. That's exactly what he wants and the Artz I know wouldn't bow to anyone, least of Bartholomew Estheim." He stated passionately.

The ginger haired woman stared at him with wide eyes. He could see that his words were reaching her, the gears turning at lightning speeds within her mind. Her sapphire orbs lightened and she smiled.

"Thanks, Sazh." She replied her voice filled with gratitude.

He released her hands and sat back.

"Whew. I thought I was going to have to use a blast charge to get you to open up. You are such hard work." He complained a smile on his face.

"But worth it." She replied with a smirk.

* * *

The pilot and the officer left the café and were now heading back to the residential sector so Artz could finally meet Sazh's wife and say hello to her new godson.

"You know, I have a theory about Hope's dad. If you're willing to listen." Sazh piped up.

"Really? Shoot." She replied.

"Bang." He countered automatically, earning a giggle from the red head, "Anyways, I think he might be jealous of you."

"What?! Why would he be jealous of me? That doesn't make any sense." She questioned disbelief all over her face.

"Whoa now, here me out, alright. You, Hope, and Nora are all really tight with each other. You have strong bonds with both of them, right?" The pilot started.

"Right..." She replied wondering where he was going with this.

"I think that he's jealous of you because you hold such strong bonds with his wife and son, stronger than the ones he's got with them." The dark skinned man finished.

Artz stared at him, her face falling into a thoughtful frown.

"That actually makes sense." She replied after a few moments.

"They say wisdom comes with age." He countered earning a chuckle from the red head.

The ginger's comm device beeped and she sighed heavily. She put it on her head set and pressed the talk button.

"Yeah?" She asked tapping her foot on the ground as she crossed her arms.

It was late and she wanted to get to Sazh's house before the sun set. Not to mention that she was emotionally exhausted and she really wanted to think more on what her dark skinned friend had said.

"Artz, we've got big trouble on the East coastline!" Maqui informed in a rush.

She immediately took off towards the Eastern side of the island, the pilot hot on her heels. Fortunately, Sazh lived on this side of the island so she was only about ten minutes out.

"What's going on?" She asked calmly, glancing back and noticing that her dark skinned friend was keeping up with her pretty well.

"A group of monsters are attacking people. They just popped out of the surf and started destroying everything." The blonde techie answered.

"Could you be more specific about what kind of monsters they are, aside from them being aquatic in nature?" She asked wanting to know what she was dealing before she actually got there.

"Unfortunately, I can't. None of us are remotely close to that area except for you. Snow and Lightning are already on their way, but it will take them some time to reach the area." Maqui answered.

"So I'm fighting blind, lovely. At least I'm not alone. Sazh and his trusty guns will back me up until the slowpokes arrive." The red head replied smiling back at her companion.

"I got these things. Might as well use them." He piped up, grinning at her.

"Just be careful." The blonde techie cautioned.

"We'll be fine, Maqui." She replied looking down at the ring she had bought from Sam back in Pallumpolum.

She disconnected the comm and placed it back around her neck.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the ginger haired corporal and the dark skinned pilot arrived at the beach and spotted their enemies. There were four green frogs with purple legs and three yellow frogs jumping around and attacking anyone who got too close.

"So Hedge Frogs and Mud Frogs...chavtastic" Artz stated sourly while crossing her arms.

"You know these critters?" Sazh asked watching their opponents hop around.

"Unfortunately. Hedge Frogs are pretty easy to take out. It's the Mud Frogs you need to worry about." She answered placing her hands on her hips.

"Why?" The pilot asked looking over at her.

"Mud Frogs have an ability called _Courtship Dance_. Basically, for every one of them, they can summon two Hedge Frogs a piece as back up, but usually after the original Hedge Frogs have been taken care of. Also in large groups, they hit continuously and it racks up the damage, so keep an eye on your health meter and use potions when necessary." She answered tapping the watch like device on his wrist.

It was another invention Maqui had created to help with their monster hunting and Artz had made certain that all of her friends had one, just in case.

"Let's get this party started!" Sazh yelled jumping into action and pulling out his guns.

The red head drew her swords and raced after him. Thanks to a bit of luck, they were able to catch them off guard and landed a preemptive strike, staggering them all. Artz knocked out the Hedge Frogs with a single _blitz_ , but that made the Mud Frogs do their crazy little jig and summoned six more Hedge Frogs.

"Damn it." She muttered while blocking the new arrivals from targeting her companion.

She caught sight of Sazh's exaggerated movements while firing his pistols.

"Must you do such crazy movements while shooting?" She asked taking care of one of the Hedge Frogs and dodging the many tails heading her way.

"Hey now, don't be dissing an old man's style." He answered with a smile.

She laughed before focusing her attention on the Mud Frogs, darting forward and finishing one of them off. She was slammed in the side by three of the Hedge Frogs. She got up and flipped away, landing next to the pilot who was limping from where his leg had been hit. She pulled out a potion and tossed it into the air, allowing its effect to wash over them both and healing their injuries to a point.

"Thanks. You weren't kidding about them ganging up on ya." He commented popping his neck and firing off a few more rounds.

"They are annoying, yes." She replied slightly annoyed.

The Mud Frogs charged at them and the duo prepared for the hit, but it never came. Lightning slid in front of them and blasted them away with her weapon.

"Nice timing, sis." Artz commented smiling.

"Hmph. Snow was too slow." The elder Farron replied changing her weapon from a gun to a sword.

The ginger chuckled falling back into her battle stance.

"Light, focus on the yellow ones. They can call reinforcements. Sazh and I will deal with the others." Artz informed receiving a nod from her sister.

Between the three of them, the battle didn't take long though they ended up having to fight two more Hedge Frogs because they couldn't get to the last Mud Frog fast enough. After the battle was over, Sazh fell onto his butt, completely exhausted while Artz and Lightning returned their weapons to their proper places.

"How the heck can you two not be tired?" He griped pointing at them in accusing manner.

"We're trained to pace ourselves in a fight, to regulate and maintain an even breathing rate and to expend as little energy as possible." The elder Farron replied crossing her arms.

"In other words, we're better than you, old man." The ginger teased.

"All you young'uns thinking you're super heroes." He grumbled falling onto his back with a small thud.

"I'm no super hero, Sazh. I can barely classify myself as human some days." She replied a mischievous smile on her face as she remembered one of her favorite shows, _Sherlock_.

The teasing was put on hold when the sisters' commanding officer showed up with his entourage. He approached the two female officers and they immediately saluted.

"At ease." He ordered and they relaxed, "I must say that you two are garnering quite the reputation for yourselves. The people are hailing you as 'The Heroes of Bodhum' and as seeing how you've once again protected the citizens of this city, I hereby promote you, Artz Farron to Corporal First Class and you, Lightning Farron, to Sergeant Second Class. Congratulations." He stated shaking both of their hands.

"Thank you, sir!" They stated together.

The Lieutenant then began clean up operations, leaving the two sisters with the pilot, who had finally returned to his feet.

"Promotions, eh? Moving up in the world." He commented.

"It's to be expected considering how many times we save the day and one day, we'll save Cocoon." Artz replied looking up at the darkening sky.

Lightning and Sazh shared a look, both knowing that the ginger was talking about the events of the game from the other world. The pilot hugged her from behind abruptly, surprising her.

"Yeah, but that's not for a long while, so let's celebrate your new promotion!" He stated trying to make that ancient look in her eyes to go away.

She laughed, her eyes brightening to a much more youthful appearance.

"You just want an excuse to go out partying, so you don't have to take over babysitting tonight." She teased.

"Hey, I may be a father, but even I need to have some fun, ya hear." He replied with a grin.

"He's right. We should celebrate." Lightning piped up, earning surprised looks from her two companions.

"Seriously?" Artz asked a little stunned by her sister's declaration.

The elder Farron pointed back towards the city.

"Celebrate the idiot's arrival that is." She answered as Snow came into view.

He ran up to them and waved up, out of breath.

"Hey." He said still trying to catch his breath.

"You're late." Artz replied smiling.

"Give me a break. I was on the other side of the island." He griped holding his side and taking deep breaths.

"But you're supposed to be the hero." She teased flicking him in the forehead.

"Yeah well, this hero is tired." He replied batting her hand away.

"Come on, ya big baby." She stated slinging his arm over her shoulders and heading back the way he had just come from, "See ya later guys. Sazh, I'll drop by tomorrow."

They bid their goodbyes and each went their separate ways. Sazh headed home, Lightning went to pick up Serah from the shopping center, and Artz and Snow returned to NORA House where the newly appointed First Class Corporal crashed next to her best friend on his bed, completely drained of all her energy.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it! Chapter Twelve: Tradition is over and done with! I know what you all are thinking. You're thinking this a filler chapter and you would be mostly correct. I needed a chapter to break up things between the emotionally charged Chapter Eleven and the somewhat dark nature of Chapter Thirteen because Chapter Thirteen will most definitely thicken the plot and probably bring up more questions about our favorite red head.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Thirteen: Dark Guardian! Stay Tuned!


	14. Chapter 13: Dark Guardian

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! Last chapter was a bit of a filler and I apologize for that, but this next chapter will make up for it, I promise.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all of my other ones as well! You guys and girls are the greatest and I'm really grateful for your continued support!

* * *

Now in this chapter, things take a much darker tone than the previous chapters, particularly in one section. I will be introducing a second original character. He can't be considered a main character because he shows up so infrequently, but he is vital to the story line, both for this story and its sequel. So I guess that makes him an important secondary character.

Anyways, a vast majority of this chapter will take place in either Snow's or Lightning's point of view and is a necessary evil. The latter half of the chapter will be in the point of view of our favorite red head.

* * *

Hope: Who exactly is this new character, Lady Artz?

Lady Artz: Oh no, I'm not saying a word! It's a surprise and it will not be ruined by nosy kids!

Hope: *uses the puppy eyes* Please.

Lady Artz: *closes her eyes shut* Nope, no way, not happening.

Hope: *stops using puppy eyes and crosses his arms* And why not?

Lady Artz: Because I'm always blabbing away to you and ruining all the good plot twists, but not this time! I will maintain my vow of secrecy and let the readers find out for themselves!

Hope: It's not like anyone actually reads your author's rants because no one has commented on the many plot mistakes I have pointed out in your work.

Lady Artz: Be that as it may, some people still read them and I will not ruin this chapter. On with the…

Hope: You forgot the disclaimer.

Lady Artz: *a dark cloud forms over her* I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. I do not own anything I make references to. I only own my OC, Artz Farron, my other OC, which will not be named at this current time, and the insanity of the plot line I am weaving into the original story line. *looks over at Hope* Happy now?

Hope: *smirks* On with the show!

Lady Artz: Hey, that's my line! *chases him*

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Dark Guardian

* * *

The leader of the monster hunting group called NORA was currently leaning against the counter in the beach bar called NORA House, laughing as he watched his fellow NORA members chase down their elusive prey. Artz's cat, Merlin, was running all over the place, climbing over furniture, ducking under tables, and even jumping on their heads.

The reason this fiasco had started was because Lebreau had cooked fish for the cat's breakfast and Yuj had decided to eat it himself. Merlin didn't like that and had jumped on his head in retribution. The blue haired boy had dropped the plate and the cat scooped up the fish and started running. Yuj gave chase and when the others arrived, they assumed that the cat had stolen the boy's food and thus the reason for the last hour and a half of hilarity.

"Snow!" Lightning called running in and stopping next to him.

"Hey Light." He replied jovially but then noticed the almost panicked expression in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

"It's Artz. She's missing. Her room was wrecked and I found this." The elder Farron answered holding up the ginger's head set.

"She never goes anywhere without this." He replied taking the head set, "You think someone took her?"

The pink haired woman nodded. Snow got off the counter and whistled very loudly, causing all the NORA members to stop what they were doing and stare at their leader.

"Artz has been taken. We need to find her." The NORA leader ordered holding up the head set as proof.

"The comm was the only way we had to find her, boss." Gadot commented.

The blonde techie known as Maqui let out a very loud exclamation of 'oh' before making a bee line for his workshop. About two minutes later, he returned with a metal box with a circular screen set in the top. He placed it on his usual table and gestured for everyone to come over.

"Maqui, isn't that the original prototype for the map device you created?" Yuj asked.

"It is, but the map on this one always reacted oddly to Artz. When I was calibrating it the first time, the movement pings would be orange like on the smaller map, but for some reason, Artz's movement ping was white. It's still calibrated to those settings." The techie answered checking over the device.

"Meaning that we can find her." Lightning summed up.

"Exactly, but there is a problem. The range on this thing is limited to roughly fifteen square miles. You'll have to scour just about everywhere to find her." Maqui elaborated flipping up the red cover and the subsequent switch.

The map device hummed to life, the screen activating and showing the normal orange movement pings.

"I say we start at one end of the island and work our way across." Snow suggested.

"Careful, hero. That almost sound like a plan." Lightning teased lightly.

The leader of NORA smirked slightly.

"In the words of our favorite red head, plans never work instead we'll do a thing, things always work." He replied earning a ghost of a smile from the trained soldier.

"Let's move out." She stated as he picked up the map device, "We'll start on the forest side."

* * *

They were currently running along the forest's edge, making their way from the west side of the island to the east side. Snow was trailing behind her be several yards, weighed down by the somewhat heavy and mildly bulky map device. Lightning came to a stop and allowed him to catch his breath and give his arms a break.

She scanned the forest, a strange feeling stirring inside of her. Her eyes flitted over to her left when she caught movement in her peripheral vision. Her eyes landed on an unusual sight. A few yards in front of her was a wolf, not the monster variety, but it looked like it was made out of crystal. The fur was made out of black crystal that shimmered in a prism like fashion when the sun's rays shined on it.

It walked towards her a few feet and looked up at her. Her aqua eyes zoned in on the steel blue orbs of the wolf, feeling a moment of déjà vu. It was almost as if she knew this wolf on some familiar and emotional level. It walked away and stopped at a bush, staring at it intently. She walked over to it and pushed it aside, finding a hidden path behind it. She looked back at the wolf, only to discover that it was gone.

She signaled for Snow to follow her and he did, curious as to what she found.

"You think she was taken into the woods?" He questioned after seeing the hidden path.

"It's isolated, full of misleading paths and trails, not to mention all the monsters that claim it as their hunting ground. Makes for the perfect hideaway." Lightning answered walking down the hidden path.

"How did you know this path was here?" The blonde asked following after her.

The elder Farron didn't answer and simply continued to walk the path. Snow gave up on trying to get an answer from her and focused on the circular map screen.

* * *

They were still following the trail after a half an hour and the NORA leader was getting frustrated.

"Lightning, nothing is here." He stated shifting the map onto his shoulder.

"We keep going. This forest takes up the whole South side of the island and we've only explored a fraction of it." She replied walking ahead and leaving him behind.

She walked into a small clearing and stopped short at seeing a medium sized bird, standing on a rock. Like the wolf before, it's feathers were made of crystal. The body was black like the wolf's had been but its wing feathers and tail feathers were a light blue that reflected that same prism like shine.

Its steel blue eyes connected to her aqua ones and she felt that same sense of déjà vu, but this time it was accompanied by a deep feeling of trust…the kind of trust that could only be obtained by fighting side by side for a long time. It spread its wings and took flight, landing on a tree branch to the southwest.

She followed after him, stopping below the branch and waiting for its next move. It took flight again and landed on the ground near a large hedge. She knelt down and examined the hedge. Her eyes widened as she discovered a few strands of deep red hair that could only belong to her missing sibling. The bird took flight again and landed on a log nearby.

She stood and walked over to the log, noticing a trail on the other side that led deeper into the forest. She turned to look back at the bird, but just like the wolf had done before, it was gone like never existed in the first place. Snow finally caught up to her and she showed him what she found. He nodded in agreement and they continued down the new trail.

* * *

They walked for over an hour on the new trail and came to a dead in at a small ravine.

"Now what?" The blonde asked looking down the ravine and whistling at how far down the bottom was.

Lightning walked away a few steps, searching for a way across. She stopped when she noticed a stag looking at her. Just as the wolf and the bird before, it was made up of crystal. Its fur was the same black crystal as the wolf and the bird, but its hooves and antlers were the same light blue crystal as the bird's wing and tail feathers.

Its steel blue eyes connected to hers once again and the elder Farron felt her heartbeat quicken and her face heat up. The sense of déjà vu was there and the trust was there also, but this new feeling made her feel exposed but not in a bad way. The feeling was deep, binding, and very, very intimate…almost like that of lovers.

The stag pawed the ground and she walked over to it. On the ground at its feet was Artz's necklace, the one with the blue box she called a Tardis. She picked it up and the stag turned, walking away. She quickly followed after it and it led her to a small clearing. In that clearing were several chocobos. That must have been how the ginger's kidnapper had traversed the ravine.

She turned to the stag and just like before, it was gone, but this time, it left a hollow ache in the elder Farron's heart…like she had just lost something very precious to her. She pushed the feeling aside as she coaxed two chocobos to the ravine. She and Snow mounted them and jumped across.

* * *

After a twenty minute ride, they had to dismount the chocobos. The foliage was much thicker than before and the forest seemed to become more dangerous and wild. They were in the heart of the forest now, a place where few have dared to tread. Snow pulled out the map again.

"Bingo! Artz is up ahead, along with someone else." He stated quickly shoving the map into the bag at his side.

"Let's go." Lightning ordered running ahead.

The NORA leader followed after her, this time keeping up. The two ran through the foliage, not caring about the small scratches to their skin or the rips in their clothing. The only thing that mattered was getting to the crimson haired dimensional traveler before her kidnapper decided to do anything too rash.

They broke through the tree line and into a large clearing. They skidded to a halt, their eyes widening at what they saw. There was some type of seal dug into the ground. Two rows of candles on stands lined the path up to a stone altar and on that stone altar was the missing red head. She was still in the spaghetti strap shirt and pajama pants that she had gone to bed in and her wrists and ankles were bound by metal shackles.

Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving, but thanks to the steady rise and fall of her chest, they knew that she was still alive. Standing in front of the alter and chanting away was a bare chested man with strange sigils painted all over his body and arms. He looked to be nothing but skin and bones, but if one looked closer, there was finely toned muscle. He was stronger than he appeared to be and not one to be underestimated.

He turned around, having heard their arrival.

"You're too late. The ritual is almost complete." He stated.

"Ritual? What ritual?" Snow demanded inching closer.

"The ritual to restore the goddess, of course. This girl is nothing more than a vessel to contain the essence of the great goddess, Etro. This ritual will undo the bindings of mortal flesh and allow the goddess to return to her divine splendor." The man explained calmly.

"And what happens to Artz when you're done?" Lightning asked her eyes narrowing.

"The vessel is inconsequential, nothing more than an illusion. I will simply dispel that illusion and unwrite the story woven by this girl. She will cease to exist and the goddess will rise." He answered.

"Like hell you will!" Snow yelled before rushing the man.

The man smirked as he raised his right hand to reveal a brand. It glowed as a barrier formed around the alter and the seal itself. The blonde collided head on with the barrier and was blown backwards into a tree, sliding to the ground with a thud. His entire body crackled with electricity, paralyzing him.

"Damn you." Snow grit out, barely able to raise his head to glare at the man.

"You're a l'Cie, a Cocoon l'Cie." The elder Farron stated staring coldly at the man.

"Daggeron Fairmont, former director of PSICOM, at your service." He introduced giving a mock bow.

"Former?" Lightning echoed a cold rage icing over her eyes.

"Yes well, after becoming a l'Cie, I was supposedly driven mad by my new power. Honestly, how often will genius be mistaken for insanity?" He elaborated with a crazed gleam in his eyes.

Snow tried to rise to his feet, but the Cocoon l'Cie wasn't about to let that happen.

"Tsk, tsk. Can't have you spoiling all my work, now can I? You just stay down like a good boy." The l'Cie stated causing a massive shock to go through the blonde's body and forcing him back down to the ground.

"Snow!" The elder Farron called out in alarm.

"Save…Artz." He bit out, riding out the shock and barely clinging to consciousness.

She turned her attention back to the insane man that had kidnapped her sister. He had already begun chanting again, the seal beneath the alter beginning to glow.

"Oh great goddess, hear this divine prayer! I give thee all of my power! Now rid yourself of this mortal shell and become the immortal deity of death once again!" He proclaimed as the entire clearing was engulfed in a bright light.

The pink haired woman shielded her eyes, the light too bright to look at. There was some kind of explosion, shattering the barrier and sending out a shockwave of wind and dust. The light faded and she lowered her hand. The dust made it hard to see, but she could just make out the outline of the Cocoon l'Cie and her sister's prone form, but there was another figure standing in front of the l'Cie as if shielding the ginger haired woman.

"Fool." A deep baritone voice stated from the other figure.

Blades of light formed in front of the second figure and sped away towards the now powerless l'Cie. The blades ripped through him, tearing him into pieces and blood splashing out everywhere. The body of the l'Cie fell to the ground piece by piece, his blood filling the grooves of the seal.

Lightning stared with wide eyes at the scene, completely shocked by the other man's brutality and lack of mercy. The dust cloud began to dissipate a little and she caught sight of black clothing and armor. The man had short dark hair that curled slightly at the ends, but it was his eyes that made her feel like she had turned into a puddle of goo.

His eyes were steel blue, the exact same color as the wolf's, bird's and stag's eyes. He glanced over at her and their eyes connected. Despite the carnage before her, she felt completely at ease like she knew on some instinctive level that he would never harm her. She could see the deep longing and the unsaid apology in his piercing eyes.

She smiled slightly, nodding her head. Relief replaced the apologetic look in his eyes. He then turned to face the out cold red head and she heard the clanking of metal on stone. She took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to touch him, but then she blinked and he was gone. Her head whipped about, searching for the mysterious man, but he had completely vanished like he was never there in the first place.

For the first time in her life, Lightning felt out of control. The feelings of sorrow, loss, and loneliness were drowning her and it felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt a single tear slide down her right cheek, snapping her out of the maelstrom of emotion. She quickly wiped it away, composing her face into an expressionless mask.

"Snow." She called her voice devoid of emotion.

"I'm alright." He stated finally rising to his feet.

They walked over to the altar, careful not to stop on any body parts or blood, and made their way to the still out cold red head. The elder Farron immediately noticed that the shackles binding her wrists and ankles had been cut clean through, releasing her from their bondage. She allowed the NORA leader to check the ginger over.

"She's okay. She's not hurt." He informed.

"Take her to NORA House. I don't want her waking up to this." Lightning ordered gesturing to the carnage behind them.

"Okay." He replied nodding.

He lifted the unconscious red head into his arms, bridal style, and made his way out of the clearing. The elder Farron looked up at the sky, remembering the brief moment of true peace she had felt while looking into the mysterious man's eyes. Her eyes widened as she felt something or someone stroke her cheek in a gentle manner.

"Thank you." The deep baritone voice whispered in her ear.

She whipped around, trying to locate the mysterious man, but there was no one. She was alone in the clearing. She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears, but she forced them away. She needed to deal with this mess first. Then and only then would she allow herself to evaluate what happened here today and not before.

* * *

 _The crimson haired dimensional traveler floated high above a massive city. There were many buildings, paths, and towers. The place looked like an architectural wonder and she was curious if a place like this actually existed somewhere. It was only when she turned her head to the right that she recognized where exactly she was._

 _There before her was the mighty citadel of the Goddess of Death, Etro. The place that seemed like an architect's dream was in fact Valhalla, a place that existed outside the linear passage of time and was the home to the Chaos that beat inside of every human soul, but why was she brought to this place? What purpose did it serve?_

 _She let out an undignified squeal as she was sent soaring into the citadel, passing room after room, hallway after hallway, at lightning speed. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't become sick from the blurring scenery. When she finally stopped, she opened her eyes. She was in a room she aptly named Etro's throne room._

 _She saw a figure shrouded in a luminescent mist, their features obscured, but she could tell that the person had long flowing silvery white hair and deep blue eyes. She was pretty certain that they were dressed in white…or maybe it was silver. It was really hard to tell. Kneeling before the throne was a man with dark hair and clad in dark clothing and armor._

" _The Dark Warrior." Artz breathed immediately covering her mouth with both of her hands._

 _Neither the luminescent figure or the said warrior seemed to notice her comment, let alone notice her. At first she was relieved to go unnoticed, but as she lowered her hands to her sides, she became irritated. She may not like being the center of attention, but she didn't like being ignored either._

 _A thought occurred to her as she continued to float in the air. What if this was some kind of dream? That would explain the whole floating thing and the fact that the other two occupants of the room didn't hear her when she spoke. She was broken out of her thoughts when the luminescent figure began to speak._

" _You have been a loyal servant and companion to me all this time, but I'm afraid that I must ask something of you and it will not be easy." The figure spoke softly, revealing that it was a woman and not a man._

" _Whatever you command, it shall be done." The warrior replied dutifully, looking up at the figure on the throne._

 _Artz gasped in shock. The man was the spitting image of her favorite actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, but his voice sounded more like the voice actor that played Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler and Kyoya Ootori from The Ouran High School Host Club. Who knew that combination could work, let alone sound so delightfully sinful._

" _This is not a command…it is a favor. I cannot in good conscious order you to do this which is why I am asking you, not as a goddess or even as a master, but as a friend." The figure retorted._

" _What is that you desire, my lady?" The warrior asked._

" _My plan will soon be put into motion and the Star of Hope will come, but she will face many trials on her long journey. Many of these trials she will not survive unless…" The figure started but then stopped._

" _Unless what, my lady?" The warrior asked gently._

" _Unless she has a protector, someone who will use any means necessary to save her." The figure answered quietly, her voice filled with sorrow._

" _Then allow me to be her protector. I will stand by her side and guard her from her enemies." He volunteered._

" _It is not as simple as that, my warrior. Your physical body is maintained by my power and even though she will have that same power, she will not be able to control it as easily as I do. Your soul will be trapped, unable to touch her, console her, or comfort her. You would watch her life from the shadows, forced to observe the many trials in her life and the countless hardships she would endure as she struggles to understand herself and her power." The figure explained sounding close to crying, "You are kind and noble, my dear warrior. It would break your heart time and again to be unable to be there for her. To ask such a thing of someone who has been so good to me is a terrible wrong that I can never hope to be forgiven for, but still…if I do not ask then she will fall before her journey ever truly begins and our world will be lost with her."_

 _The dark warrior remained silent for several moments and Artz began to wonder if he would deny the figure's request. What the figure was asking of him was truly monumental. Anyone would be hesitant to agree to it. He looked up at the figure sitting on the throne, his steel blue eyes both determined and resolved._

" _I, Benedict Strathem, the champion and defender of the goddess, Etro, hereby swear to be the protector of the Star of Hope. I will be her sword, her shield, her shadow, and her constant companion. I vow that she will never be alone and to do what must be done to ensure her safety and happiness." The warrior vowed passionately._

 _Artz's eyes filled with tears at his declaration. To think that he would endure so much and just for her, it truly touched her. She didn't even know the man and yet she felt somehow connected to him...like she had known him her entire life.  
_

" _Thank you." The figure replied softly, her voice full of gratitude, "All is not lost. At the journey's end, she will release you from your vow and allow you to find happiness with the ones you were forced to leave behind. This I vow to you."_

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler bolted upright, tears flowing down her face. She looked around and realized that she was in Snow's bed room back at NORA House. She wiped away her tears and took a few calming breaths.

That was one hell of a dream, but at the same time, it didn't feel like a dream…more like a memory. Was it one of _his_ memories? Did he show her that so that she would know that she wasn't alone, that he was protecting her even now? She wondered if he could see and hear everything that she said and did or was he trapped in a state of non-existence because she couldn't control her power?

To be honest, she didn't really want to know the answer to that. She wasn't sure which one she preferred; a silent, invisible companion unable to do anything at all or him existing in some state of darkness, blind to all and everything. Neither were very good prospects and she wanted nothing more than to simply talk with him, find out more about what her true purpose in the world was. Hell, she wanted to get to know the man that had willingly bound himself to her, just to protect her.

So many questions and not nearly enough answers. The more time she spent in this universe, the more confused she became. At this rate, she was going to have to physically write down all of her questions just so she could get answers to everything and didn't forget anything.

She was drawn from her thoughts by a ruckus in the next room. She sighed heavily and got out of bed. She stopped briefly at the mirror to straighten out her hair and make herself more presentable. She then continued on to the main room. All the other NORA members were talking at once, trying to get some answers out of their leaders.

She walked further in and whistled very loudly, making them all cover their ears. They all turned to her to see her with her arms crossed and her foot tapping on the floor.

"I was having a very nice dream until you lot woke me up with all your shouting. Now you have two minutes to explain to me what the fuss is about before I hand each of your asses and go back to bed." She threatened a cross look on her face.

"You were kidnapped, Artz. They just wanted answers is all." Snow replied stepping up and taking the blame like a good leader would.

"Kidnapped? I don't remember that, so start with that and end with how I got here." She ordered concealing the surprise she felt.

The leader of NORA launched into his story about how they tracked her down with Maqui's prototype map, trekked through the woods, rode on chocobos, and the encounter with the Cocoon l'Cie. He went on to explain the ritual and the sudden appearance of mysterious man in black clothing. He wrapped up his story by telling her that he carried her back while Lightning stayed to call it in to the security regiment.

Artz sat outside on the side patio, ignoring the worried looks on the others' faces. Her mind was thinking over everything Snow had told her. His description of the mysterious man matched that of her warrior, but how in the world did he appear in that clearing if she didn't have control of her power yet?

Her eyes widened a fraction as an idea formed in her mind. The l'Cie had exhausted his magic by pouring all his power into that ritual. That power had to go somewhere and by his own words, he was destroying her physical body to supposedly release the goddess from her 'mortal flesh'. His power went _inside_ her body and Benedict must have used that power to physically manifest himself and save her life. It was the only explanation that made rational sense.

That still left a few questions unanswered though. She knew that the range of the prototype was fifteen square miles and even if they walked into the forest, it was hundreds of miles both wide and deep. How in the world did they find her without any sense of direction or some clue as to her whereabouts?

She felt a mild surge of heat from her brand in response to her mental query. She blinked in surprise before reaching back and touching the brand. A gentle warmth touched her finger tips and the tension from her body melted away into nothingness. She returned her hand to her side, a smile tugging at her lips.

She wasn't sure how, but she had a feeling that her dark warrior had done more than just make an appearance. He had somehow guided Snow and Lightning to the clearing.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"I'll always be there for you, Artz. You know that." Snow replied honestly.

She smiled, a mischievous look in her eyes. She hadn't been thanking him. She had been thanking the dark haired warrior. She didn't know if he actually heard her, but she wanted to thank him nonetheless.

She reached up to touch the necklace that held the police box as its charm and her eyes grew wide when she felt nothing there. She stood to her feet quickly and patting herself down, trying to find it.

"Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" The NORA leader questioned also rising to his feet.

"It's gone! My necklace is gone! I've got to find it! I've got to…." She ranted before stopping.

The necklace was mysteriously hanging in front of her face, making her go slightly cross eyed. Two hands worked swiftly to clasp it around her neck and they retracted once their work was done. The ginger touched the blue box that meant the world to her, the relief surging through her system.

She turned around and looked at the person who had returned it to her, her sister.

"The clasp was broken so I repaired it." Lightning stated casually.

The ginger threw her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. The elder Farron slowly returned the hug, having been momentarily caught off guard.

"Thank you." Artz whispered her voice full of gratitude.

The pink haired woman's eyes softened at that statement.

"Try not to lose it again." She chastised lightly.

The crimson haired woman released her sister.

"So what happened at the clearing after Snow took me away?" The red head asked.

"PSICOM showed up and took possession of the body and cleaned up the area. They're looking for the woman that he kidnapped. Supposedly, to offer a formal apology, but what they really want is to study her, find out why he fixated on her in first place." The elder Farron answered.

The ginger felt a streak of fear slice through her like an iced knife, chilling her to her core. They were searching for her. She wouldn't be able to stay in Bodhum anymore. She'd have to run, leave her friends and family behind just to avoid detection, then return shortly before the Pulse fal'Cie was detected within the Vestige.

"You didn't tell them, did you?" Maqui asked fear in his voice.

"I am a member of the Guardian Corps. I was duty bound to inform them of what I knew." Lightning answered.

"There's no way you would sell out Artz." Snow commented absolutely certain of the woman's loyalties.

"I told them that the young woman fled deeper into the forest. That she had shoulder length dark blonde hair, green eyes, height: five foot three inches, weight: two hundred and twenty five pounds, and was most likely eaten by the local monster life." The elder Farron elaborated a ghost of a smile coming to her face.

"And they believed that load of bull?" Artz asked highly skeptical.

"Yes, they did. They started combing the area immediately and ended up running into a very unhappy group of vespids. Apparently, the heart of the forest is teeming with powerful monsters. We were lucky that we were able to get in and out without any trouble." The soldier answered.

"So I guess that means I'm safe from PSICOM for the time being." The ginger stated.

Lightning nodded, but the red head noticed the thoughtful expression on her face. She decided not to wheedle out what was bugging the elder Farron and decided to grab some food instead. She was starving and then her stomach growled long and loud, making the others laugh. She was ushered back inside and treated to a lovely meal by the best cook in Bodhum, her friends happily joining in and trying to steal from each other's plates.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Thirteen: Dark Guardian! Whew, this chapter was both easy and hard to get out. I kept having to stop, think things out, then go back and start typing again. I stopped and started on this chapter for the last seven hours, trying to sort out exactly how it was supposed to flow. I think it turned out alright.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Fourteen: Meddling Friends! Stay Tuned!


	15. Chapter 14: Meddling Friends

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! I'm so sorry for the wait, but this chapter is a bit difficult to map out, so it may end up being a bit choppy. Please bear with me!

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all of my other ones as well. You guys rock and I'm so grateful for your continued support!

* * *

In this chapter, Artz and Sazh have had enough of Snow and Serah dancing around the issue of their attraction to each other. Sazh convinces Artz to help him in his quest to get these two together and ends up getting the rest of the gang involved as well.

* * *

Hope: This is not going to end well.

Lady Artz: No kidding.

Hope: I won't be involved in this haphazard scheme, will I?

Lady Artz: *pats his hair* Don't worry. You will be spared from the majority of the scheming.

Hope: But not entirely?

Lady Artz: Not sure yet. Depends on how the chapter goes.

Hope: *sighs* Very well. *looks to the readers* Lady Artz does not own Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2, or XIII-3: Lightning Returns. She also does not own anything she makes references to. She only owns her original characters, Artz Farron and Benedict Strathem.

Lady Artz: On with the show!

Hope: Is there no way for me to avoid this?

Lady Artz: No.

Hope: *hangs head in dejection*

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Meddling Friends

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Farron sat a table inside the beach bar known as NORA House, watching the pair known as Snow and Serah dance around their attraction for the umpteenth time. It had to be one of the most sad things she ever had witnessed. These two were crushing on each other so bad that it was just plain ridiculous, not to mention; completely obvious to anyone with eyes.

The dark skinned pilot known as Sazh Katzroy wandered in from the side patio, where he had been lounging for the last hour. His wife had taken their son into work that day, so he was free to do as he pleased until they came home. He took up a seat next to the ginger haired woman.

"Something on your mind, Artz?" He asked.

She used the straw from her lemonade and pointed at the two young people stealing glances at each other while the other wasn't looking.

"Have you seen anything so damn depressing? I just wish they would get together already. Their constant denial is almost too painful to watch." The red head answered sticking her straw back into her drink and taking a sip.

"So let's do something about it." He suggested.

"I'm a doctor, not a match maker." She stated grumpily.

"Oh come on, Artz. It'll be fun." Sazh replied nudging her side with his elbow.

"Sounds tedious." She responded flatly.

"Oh now we're definitely doing it, because you are spending way too much time with that sister of yours. When was the last time you actually had some fun?" He countered.

The ginger sighed heavily, knowing that he was going to keep pestering her until she agreed to this crazy plan of his.

"Alright fine." She conceded.

* * *

Sazh and Artz were currently hiding in alcove, watching their two friends wander through the shopping district. Sazh had convinced Snow to hang out with him and Artz had asked Serah to go shopping with her. Once they had been in close enough proximity, the pilot and the dimensional traveler had vamoosed.

Serah and Snow went in search of their respective friends and bumped into each other. They stood there talking for a few minutes, but it didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"This isn't working, Sazh. It's just more of the same." The red head complained quietly.

"Have some faith, Artz." He retorted.

They continued to watch and eventually the younger Farron and the NORA leader went their separate ways. The crimson haired woman sighed heavily.

"That was a total bust." She commented.

"Damn, what's it going to take to get these two together?" The pilot asked exasperated.

"We should just lock them in a room until they confess their feelings for each other." Artz suggested.

The dark skinned man looked over at his friend with a dead panned expression on his face.

"You've been spending too much time with soldier girl." He replied flatly.

"I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker." She countered equally irritated.

"I think we need to call in the troops for this one. This is war!" He proclaimed.

The dimensional traveler raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was fired up about this, but then just sighed. This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Sazh and Artz returned to NORA House and rallied together the other members of the monster hunting group.

"Alright people, how are we going to accomplish this?" The pilot asked taking up the lead as general.

"We should just have him be the hero, really impress her, ya know." Gadot suggested.

The raven haired NORA member snorted.

"Oh please, everyone knows that the way into a man's heart is his stomach. We should get Serah to cook for him." Lebreau stated with absolute certainty.

"We could always write notes to them and have them meet up at a specific time and place." Maqui piped up.

"If push comes to shove, we can just sit them down and tell them that they like each other." Yuj commented.

"A few problems. Gadot, your idea plays to Snow's strengths, yes, but she already knows he's a hero. Lebreau, your idea is good, but Serah can't cook to save her life. Maqui, your idea has a high risk of backfiring because all they have to do is ask about the letters. Yuj, your idea is direct and would undoubtedly embarrass both them and us." Artz pointed out, trying to be the voice of reason.

"We'll do all of them!" Sazh proclaimed and the others cheered.

The ginger haired woman hung her head in exasperation, letting out a tired sigh.

* * *

They went with Gadot's idea first. He arranged for a small group of monsters to show up in less populated area and the others began maneuvering Serah into place while Snow was dispatched to take care of the monsters. Just as Artz predicted, the plan royally backfired when the monsters got loose from their pen prematurely and attacked Gadot before Serah had made it to the target zone. Snow ended up saving the shock trooper of NORA instead of the younger Farron.

* * *

The next idea to be tried was Lebreau's. The raven haired woman invited Serah to NORA House to teach her how to cook. For two whole hours, the younger Farron worked diligently to create a small meal for the others to try. Maqui and Yuj directed their leader to sit down at the counter to be served first.

To the shock of everyone, Snow ate all of Serah's food, but then sorely regretted it because his face turned pale and he looked like he was about to hurl. The leader of NORA quickly rose from his seat and made for the closest bathroom. For the next three hours, the blonde haired man vomited the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl.

They all felt pretty bad about it. They felt especially bad for Artz because she was in the bathroom with their leader, patting his back and helping him through this ordeal. Serah was thoroughly guilt ridden for causing such a fiasco. Plans A, B, and C were a bust.

* * *

Plan D was put into action by the ginger haired dimensional traveler. She painstakingly penned two letters in both Serah's and Snow's handwriting. Not an easy feat to do and by the time she was done, her right hand was completely shot. The letters were delivered to their respective destinations and now the gang was watching from a distance.

Serah was waiting on the path that would eventually become her and Snow's 'usual place'. Snow showed up not long after and the group held their breaths.

"Serah, hey! Been waiting long?" The NORA leader asked.

"Not really, so what did you want to talk about?" She answered.

"Me, but you were the one that said that you wanted to tell me something important." He replied confused.

The younger Farron frowned, pulling out her letter.

"But got this and it's in your handwriting." She stated.

The blonde haired man pulled out an identical letter.

"And I got one from you in your handwriting." He replied.

"I feel like we're being played." Serah commented irritated.

Suddenly, there was a ruckus form the bushes and they both turned. They saw the whole gang, trying to restrain the ginger haired woman.

"That's it! I've had enough!" Artz yelled blasting them all away with a powerful wind gust.

She stormed over to the two love birds that they had been trying to get together all day. She was beyond frustrated. She was tired, cranky, in desperate need of a bath, and her hand hurt like hell. She was going to get these two together even if it killed her.

"Listen up the both of you. Snow, you like Serah…a lot." She started making the NORA leader blush, "And Serah, you like Snow…a lot."

The younger Farron cupped her cheeks as she blushed scarlet.

"For the love of all that is good, just kiss and be a freaking couple already!" The red head shouted with tears in her eyes.

Both the leader of NORA and the pink haired girl could see how much the ginger cared for them. They looked at each other, their eyes connecting. They smiled at each other, realizing that they had been pretty stupid.

"Well now, what are we gonna do about this?" Snow asked.

"We'll just have to be couple, of course." Serah answered giggling.

"You asking me out?" The blonde asked.

"Yes." The pink haired girl answered nodding her head.

He smirked and pulled her into his arms, swinging her around a few times and making her laugh. He set her on her feet and before he lost his nerve, he kissed her. The kiss was brief, but it conveyed everything they were feeling. When they parted, they were both blushing but had big smiles on their faces.

The others raced over and congratulated them on finally getting together, explaining their individual plans. Serah and Snow laughed at how hard they had all tried, but were also touched by how much they cared. Yeah, they had been pretty foolish to let things get so bent out of shape, but they had both been afraid to be rejected which was why they never said anything.

No one noticed when the crimson haired dimensional traveler slipped away from the crowd and walked away. She went home and got cleaned up. She wrapped her hand in an ace bandage, sighing heavily. She changed into her sleep clothes and headed for the roof. She sat down and stared at the city. The sun was almost fully set and night was just beginning to fall.

"Twilight, my favorite time of day." She commented softly.

"A time when it is neither light or dark." A voice spoke up from behind her.

She looked back to see none other than Hope Estheim. What in the world was he doing here? He came and sat down next to her, placing his left hand on her right. Their hands glowed for a moment and when the glow faded, the pain in her hand was gone. She unwrapped her hand and tested it, surprised that it felt perfectly normal. She looked over at the young Estheim.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Light invited me to stay in Bodhum for my summer vacation. Didn't she tell you?" He answered.

"No, she didn't." She replied smiling slightly.

"I guess she wanted it to be a surprise." He stated smiling as well.

"Hope…" Artz started but then stopped.

"What is it, Artz?" Hope asked.

"Do you think I'll ever find someone to love me…like Snow loves Serah?" She asked softly.

"Yes, I do." He replied with absolutely certainty.

She looked up at him in surprise, her eyes holding so much uncertainty but also hope.

"How do you know?" She questioned.

He interlaced their fingers, making her look down at their joined hands.

"Because I…" He started but he couldn't get the words out, "I just know. Besides, if someone like Snow can get a girlfriend, I see no reason why you can't get a boyfriend."

The crimson haired woman sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"But no one seems right." She replied rather dejectedly.

"Maybe he hasn't been born yet." He suggested looking out at the city.

"Or maybe he simply hasn't grown up yet." The red head commented making the silver haired boy snap his head in her direction.

She was smiling and he felt the blood rush to his face, heating up his cheeks. He really loved it when she smiled. It made everything seem so much brighter which is why he always called her his star. She leaned her head on his and looked up at the sky, the first stars beginning to appear. He cherished these moments when it was just the two of them because when they were together, things felt right like no challenge was too great for them to overcome.

He silently renewed his vow to become stronger. He needed to do everything in his power to protect her and make her happy. Even it took an entire lifetime, he would erase the sadness from her eyes and they would build a bright future together. Who knows…maybe he would finally find the courage to speak the words in his heart and make her his forever. He smiled up at the sky, basking in the light of his star.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Fourteen: Meddling Friends! I know, it was a shorty chapter and I was really tired while typing it, but that last part with Hope was not planned at all and I think it was the best part of the whole chapter, but that's just me.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Fifteen: Dust to Dust! Stay Tuned!


	16. Chapter 15: Dust to Dust

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story, _Star of Hope_! I am so terribly sorry for the long wait, but this chapter was giving me some major problems. I think I managed to iron it out now...hopefully.

Much love and over flowing gratitude to all those who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story along with all my other ones as well. You guys are the greatest and I truly appreciate all of your support!

Now this chapter deals with a question that a lot of players have asked…though if they had read the datalog than they wouldn't have had to ask this question in the first place. _What happened to Sazh's wife_? This chapter answers that question as well as sets up the next chapter.

Okay, I think that covers everything, so on with the….

Hope: Stop!

Lady Artz: *eyebrow ticks in annoyance* Why?

Hope: *chuckles nervously* You kind of forgot the disclaimer again. *slowly beginning to inch away*

Lady Artz: *growls in frustration* Fine. I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. I do not own anything I make references to, mainly Doctor Who or certain animes. This is solely for my own amusement. *looks at Hope* Happy now?

Hope: On with the show!

Lady Artz: You are so dead! *chases after him*

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Dust to Dust

* * *

Artz Farron, sister of Lightning and Sarah Farron, was currently in a bit of a pickle. She was in a collapsing building that was on fire, was trying to rescue civilians if there were any, avoid being burnt to a crisp, and was attempting to fight monsters while in tight quarters without much success.

The day had started out like any other day. She had been dragged to the shopping center by her sister, Serah, and her close friend, Hope, who was currently staying with her and her sisters for the summer. The duo had been trying to get her to spend some of the gil she had been collecting for the last three years. She, of course, had been obstinately refusing. She was stockpiling both gil and materials for the upcoming l'Cie journey in three years time, but she wasn't about to tell them that and ruin a perfectly good day with such depressing thoughts.

Her sister only stopped in her pestering when she noticed a group of what she called 'large waddling white birds' enter the back of a two story department store. Artz immediately checked it out because Serah's description reminded her of a monster called a _gremlin_ and they were capable of using the spell called _Fire_ which could do a lot of damage if they were left to their own devices.

Once inside the store, she found a group of six gremlins setting fire to the place and causing several explosions. Most of the civilians managed to get out in time before the main entrance collapsed. Artz was trying to hold off the gremlins while she searched for other civilians, but she ran into a bit of a problem in the form of not one, not two, not three, but four _Garchimacera_. They were more vibrantly colored than their gremlin cousins and were capable of using the spell called _Fira_ which was also an AOE or an Area of Effect spell.

She dodged to the left to avoid the brunt of the three _Fira_ spells only to be hit from several directions by the gremlins' _Fire_ spells. She fell to the floor and rolled, putting out the flames and placing some distance between her and the monsters. She was covered in ash, sweat, and dust. Her breathing was labored and her eyes were stinging with tears from the smoke.

She wouldn't be able to keep fighting like this for much longer. Their spells were causing a lot of damage to the building's infrastructure and if she didn't hurry this along then the building would collapse on top of her. Her comm device beeped, letting her know that someone was trying to get in touch. She ducked for cover behind a pillar, the spells hitting it instead of her. She put on the head set and pressed the connect button.

"Now's not really a good time, Maqui." The ginger stated looking behind the pillar.

She pulled back hastily as a fire ball flew by and hit the wall, making a nice scorch mark.

"Artz, it's Sazh." The pilot replied quietly.

She frowned. His voice sounded…sad? Or was it closer to a tired resignation?

"Sazh, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly, "Did something happen to Dajh?"

The pillar she was hiding behind began to crack from the constant barrage of spells, but she ignored it. Whatever was happening with Sazh was for more important than some pesky monsters.

"Dajh is fine." The pilot answered pausing a moment, "It's my wife, Gloria."

Gloria Katzroy was the mother of Dajh and the wife of Sazh. She was also a woman that the dimensional traveler had not met in the entire three years she had been in the Final Fantasy XIII universe and for good reason. Sazh's wife was someone she couldn't save, no matter how hard she tried. Gloria had been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder eight months ago. There was no treatment or any way to correct the problem. She was going to die and there was nothing Artz could do to stop it.

"Is she…" The red head started unable to finish her query.

"She's asking to see you. The doctors say she won't make it through the night. Please, Artz. Just…come and talk to her…just once." The dark skinned man pleaded sounding utterly broken.

The pillar began to give way, but the dimensional traveler just stood there, tears in her eyes. There were no words to describe what she was feeling in that moment. The brand on her back began to emit a soft blue light.

' _Go to her_.' A baritone voice whispered softly in her mind.

A tear slipped down her left cheek as she nodded her head. Her eyes began to glow with the same soft blue light as her brand. Her magic fired out of her like a shockwave. It hit the gremlins and the garchimacera, destroying them in an instant. Her power continued outwards, robbing the air of oxygen and putting out the flames. Her power receded back into her body, her eyes and brand ceasing to glow.

She ran through the debris and out the back door of the building. She jumped up onto the roof of the closest building and made her way to the hospital.

* * *

Artz arrived at the hospital shortly before sunset, her breathing heavy from the constant exertion. She staggered inside and made her way to the fourth floor. She found Sazh sitting in the waiting room. Dajh was curled up in a chair next to him, fast asleep. The pilot heard her approach and rose to his feet to meet her halfway.

"You look like hell." He commented taking in her haggard appearance.

The ginger haired woman was covered in scorch marks, her clothes tattered and torn. Her hair was covered in a fine layer of soot and her face was smeared with ash, the tears tracks visible on her cheeks.

"I feel like hell." She replied trying to smile but couldn't seem to complete the action.

The dark skinned man pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight hug, letting her know that he understood what she was feeling even if she didn't fully comprehend it herself. He knew that Artz had stayed away from his wife because she knew that she was going to die, unable to do anything to help her. He knew that the red head couldn't bear the thought of being helpless, but it was more than that.

It had taken almost two and half years for Artz to reveal her past to him. He understood why she stayed away from his wife. She couldn't bear losing anyone else, not after everything she had lost. It didn't matter though. She had never met Gloria, but she still loved the woman anyways and that was why she was hurting now because she was losing someone all over again.

He pulled back and released her.

"Go clean up a bit while I let her know you're here." Sazh suggested softly.

The ginger simply nodded before heading off to the closest bathroom. The pilot watched her go, his heart heavy with the beginnings of loss.

* * *

Artz emerged from the bathroom, her hair, face and arms now cleaned. There wasn't much she could do about her clothes, but she knew that Gloria would understand. She walked up to the room, pausing briefly to get her emotions under control. She took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She walked inside, noting that Sazh was not in the room. He must have left to give them some privacy.

On the bed and connected to machinery was Gloria Katzroy. The woman was very beautiful. She had long dark brown hair that was surprisingly straight. Her eyes were a warm honey brown and she was smiling.

"Artz." She said softly.

The dimensional traveler walked over to the bed and sat down.

"Gloria." She replied.

The honey eyed woman took one of the ginger's hands in her own.

"You're just as beautiful as he described you." She stated tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gloria. I never should have stayed away. Now it's too late." The ginger replied looking away and trying not to cry.

"You were always with me, Artz. Even though we never met face to face or talked on the phone, you were always there. Your heart was always there…beating alongside mine. I have always felt your presence." Gloria stated sincerely.

The dimensional traveler looked at honey eyed woman in surprise.

"You never needed to meet me before now. Our paths were meant to only cross once." The woman stated her eyes holding a knowing look.

"What do you mean?" Artz asked confused.

"If you are to face the future that is coming, you must conquer the darkness within yourself and that time is fast approaching." The honey eyed woman answered ominously.

"I don't understand." The red head replied not understanding what she was trying to tell her.

"From the moment you arrived in this world, you have not been alone. There has always been someone close by, always within reach, but soon, you will be alone and you must confront your fears, your doubts, and lay to rest the darkness within your soul if you are going to have any chance in the changing the future at all." Gloria revealed gripping the ginger's hand tighter.

"How do you know this?" The red head asked.

"Because the Goddess told me in my dream. It was three years ago. I fell asleep at my desk and dreamt of a figure enshrouded by mist. She told me that you were coming to our world and that you and I will only meet one time…on the day I die. She wanted me to warn you of what was coming, to prepare you for your greatest trial, and to save you." The honey eyed woman answered a tear slipping down the side of her face.

"Save me?" The dimensional traveler echoed.

"Yes. You must remember who you are. Not the person you have become now, the soldier, but the ideal that is the core of who you are. Remember that and you will your conquer darkness. Once the trial has passed, you will be ready to face the future head on and you'll change things for the better. You'll save our world and everyone in it." Gloria explained pausing a moment, "I do have a request."

"Name it." Artz responded instantly.

"Take care of our family. You're the only one I trust with that responsibility. Will you do that for me, Artz?" The honey eyed woman pleaded trying to hold back more tears.

"Yes, I will. I promise to take care of them, Gloria." The ginger replied with honesty and conviction.

"Just don't forget to take care of yourself. You're family too." Gloria stated making the red head smile.

"I will, I promise." Artz replied taking a small breath, "I'm gonna stay with you, okay? Right until the end."

Sazh's wife and the mother of Dajh, Gloria Katzroy, smiled softly at the crimson haired dimensional traveler, her eyes warm and full of love.

"Thank you." The honey eyed woman responded her voice laced with gratitude.

* * *

The hours passed by as the crimson haired woman recounted stories of her times with Sazh and Dajh, filling in the dying woman on everything she had missed. There were smiles and laughs and even a few tears. Sazh eventually joined them, Dajh in his arms. The duo joined in on the story telling and they made the honey eyed woman's final moments be filled with happiness, love, and laughter.

As the sun peaked above the horizon, Gloria smiled as she saw the rays of the first morning light. Her honey brown eyes slowly drifted shut and her heart monitor flat lined. Sazh, Dajh, and Artz were pushed from the room by the nurses and the doctors, but the trio already knew what had happened. Gloria Katzroy had passed away, having seen one final sunrise, despite what the doctors had said, and surrounded by the people she loved most in all the world.

* * *

The next several months were hard for Sazh. He was beside himself with grief and couldn't muster up a smile even if he tried to. Dajh ended up spending a lot of time with his godmother, Artz. The three year old boy had spent a few days crying himself out, but when he saw how bad off his father was, he knew that he needed to be strong.

His godmother was very sad, but she always smiled…even though it looked like her heart was breaking behind her eyes. The little boy realized that it was important to stay upbeat and keep on smiling because that was what his mommy would want. She wouldn't want them to be sad, but to keep on living and making more happy memories.

He convinced his godmother to help him in his quest to make his daddy smile. Between the two of them, they managed to get the dark skinned pilot to smile roughly four months later. Things got easier as more time passed, but little did they know that everything was about to change. They had endured the loss of a loved one, but the most difficult trial was about to take place.

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Farron was about to confront the darkness that lurked inside her mind, heart, and soul. Only question remained to be answered.

 _Will Artz overcome the darkness within or will she be consumed by it, losing her life in the process and dooming the world to destruction?_

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Fifteen: Dust to Dust! Whew! This was a hard chapter to get out, but I think it turned out okay. The next chapter is what I like to call a _defining moment_ or a _turning point_ in a story line. Artz has to confront what she holds inside; all those doubts and fears and uncertainties.

So leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Sixteen: Crisis of Faith! Stay tuned!


	17. Chapter 16: Crisis of Faith

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story called _Star of Hope_! I apologize for the wait, but I was kind of dragging my feet in regards to writing this chapter.

Chapter Sixteen is a majorly big deal for Artz. She's forced to confront a very harsh truth about herself and her actions up to this point. Once she does come to this realization, it's like she comes apart at the seams and she doesn't know what to do anymore. That moment of indecision may just very well be the end of her.

So with that being said, be prepared for a torrentially explosive amount of emotion, because this is going to get dicey and I'm not even sure if I, myself, can pull off what is playing through my mind right now., but I will give it my best shot.

Hope: So it's finally here…Artz's crisis of faith.

Lady Artz: Yeah, it had to happen sooner or later and we can't really have it happen during the main story line because there isn't enough time to process the whole l'Cie thing and the brands and the running for their lives. There's just no time for Artz to have this… _breakdown_ of sorts.

Hope: That is true. Artz has had her low points thus far, but I'm guessing this will be the absolute worst of them all.

Lady Artz: Absolutely right. The darkest hour is before the dawn.

Hope: It's also the coldest.

Lady Artz: Very true. Now we should get on to the chapter now.

Hope: I'll do the disclaimer this time. *looks to the readers* Lady Artimes Blaine does not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. She also does not own anything she makes references to, mainly a plethora of anime and a lot of Doctor Who. She only owns her original characters, Artz Farron and Benedict Strathem. She also owns the shopkeeper, Samuel Montgomery and any other original characters that are not in the original story line.

Lady Artz: Quite a long disclaimer there, Hope. Anyways, on with…

Hope: Can we say it together? *gives her his best puppy dog eyes look*

Lady Artz: *sighs* Fine. Ready? *receiving a nod from the silver haired boy*

Lady Artz/Hope: On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Crisis of Faith

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Farron made her way down towards Lieutenant Amodar's office. The burly, mustache wearing man had summoned her to his office for an assignment and she was rather curious about what it would be. The lieutenant had a tendency to give her some pretty odd missions, but that was because she got bored easily and he always went out of his way to make her job interesting and satisfying.

She came to a stop in front of his door and smoothed out her uniform a bit. She was feeling a bit off lately, but she chocked it up to the fact that everyone was so busy. Snow was escorting both Hope and Nora back to the Pallumpolum by boat since the tracks were iced over and currently unusable. Lightning was off on assignment in the Vile Peaks with the group the ginger nicknamed the _Thunder Legion_ , men who have all served with her sister on several occasions.

Sazh invited Serah to come with him and his son to visit a museum that was showcasing a new exhibit depicting the history of Cocoon and Gran Pulse. Lebreau was managing the beach bar all on her own because Gadot, Yuj, and Maqui were setting up a secondary base of operations in a Pulsian vestige hidden in the layers of Cocoon's outer shell that was near Lake Bresha. Artz had informed of them of this location and that it would serve as a safe haven for the Purge survivors.

She knocked gently on the door and waited for permission before entering the room. Lieutenant Amodar's office was littered with commendations, awards, and a fair amount of pictures; namely his favorites amongst the soldiers in his command and his family and friends. His mahogany desk was littered with stacks of paper work and dozens of reports.

"Sergeant Second Class Artz Farron, reporting as ordered, sir!" She stated saluting.

The heavyset officer looked up from his work and chuckled softly.

"At ease, Sergeant, before you strain something." He ordered a smile gracing his features.

The ginger haired woman went from standing _at attention_ to the position called _parade rest_ , with her hands secured behind her lower back and her feet partly separated.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be assigning you this mission without some kind of back up to pull your ass out of the hot zone, but this matter is urgent and you are the only one with the combat and tracking skills required to hunt this thing." Amodar started rising to his feet and handing her a file.

She flipped through it and frowned.

"Sōla Prakāśa? Never heard of it." She stated still frowning.

"Most wouldn't know about it. It's a secluded island to the Northwest and is home to a reclusive bunch of scientists and researchers. Others have made the island their home as well; hunters, naturalists, and those who do not share the same views as the Sanctum." The lieutenant elaborated.

"Permission to speak freely, sir." Artz requested looking up from the file.

"Granted." He allowed pretty certain of what she was going to say.

"We are all individuals. We have our own hearts, our own minds, and our own souls. No two people are ever going to think or feel or act in the exact same way and just because these people think differently than we do, doesn't mean that we can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to their situation." She stated passionately, handing the file back to him, "So what's the target?"

The heavyset officer smiled softly at the crimson haired woman. When she had first joined the Bodhum Security Regiment, he had almost been completely certain that she would up and quit within a month, but she had proven him wrong. Not only did she not give up, but had, over time, become one of the finest officers he had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

She spoke her mind, but still followed orders. She showed respect to her superiors, despite her own personal feelings towards said superiors; namely the director of PSICOM, who had intentionally tried to goad her into saying or doing something she would regret later. Amodar could honestly say that he was proud of her and all the things she had accomplished in the past four years, but he was also a little sad.

He missed the way the ginger used to be; so full of hope and optimism. Now, she was a realist that exercised restraint and caution. The first two years she had been with the Guardian Corps were some of the best in his entire life. The girl had been a dreamer, someone who always saw the best in people, and had a faith and belief in others that was unmatched, but the battles, the training, and the near constant nightmares she suffered from had sapped every ounce of innocence and naivety out of her system.

The universe used to hold so much joy for her and now she was fully integrated into this Fal'Cie governed society. No longer was she the independent woman that did what was right and damned the consequences. Now she was a skilled and dedicated officer of the Guardian Corps and by far the most successful and efficient member of the Bodhum Security Regiment. There were times where she even outshined her sister, Lightning.

"The target is what appears to be a _behemoth_ , but the survivors of the hunter's camp that was destroyed said that it had what appeared to be a serrated sword curving along its head and partly down its back. Also it was significantly larger than a _feral behemoth_ , perhaps even larger than a _lodestar behemoth_." He informed putting aside the memories of the past.

The ginger took on a thoughtful expression, her right hand coming up to hold her chin while her left hand cupped her right elbow. He could see the gears turning in her mind, going over every facet of the mission. Her sapphire orbs calmed as she lowered her arms to her sides and looked up at him.

"It's a _Behemoth King_. They're commonly located on open plains or in lush grasslands. They have the ability to change their form from four legs to two legs, the sword on their head becoming a single handed weapon capable of delivering devastating physical attacks. They usually steer clear of forested areas and most definitely away from islands which begs the question of how it got on the island in the first place. These things don't just randomly pop up just anywhere." She informed.

"For the time being, we'll focus on eliminating it and protecting the civilian population on Sōla Prakāśa. We'll sort out the how's and why's later, Sergeant." Amodar replied giving her a stern look.

"Yes sir!" She responded saluting.

"Set out for Sōla Prakāśa as soon as you are prepared, eliminate the Behemoth King, and report in once the beast has been slain. Dismissed." He ordered.

Artz turned on her heel and left the office, leaving a sighing lieutenant in her wake. Amodar fell into his seat, his eyes distant. The chances of survival for a four man team going to the island and taking care of the problem was roughly thirty eight percent. For a single woman with exceptional combat skills to take on that beast alone, her chances of surviving was easily a fraction of that, but the orders had come from his superior officer in the command headquarters in Eden.

The heavyset officer was almost entirely certain that he had just sent his best officer and his closest friend to her death. The guilt was already building up in his stomach, making him nauseous. He glanced at the picture in the silver ornate frame that was hanging next to the window. In the picture were Artz and her sisters, Lightning and Serah. They were smiling and posing for the camera. Amodar, himself, had taken the picture that day.

He looked at the faces of the ginger's siblings, his guilt burning that much hotter. How would he ever be able to face them when their beloved and cherished sister would be found dead on Sōla Prakāśa? What purpose did Brigadier General Cid Raines have when he ordered the lieutenant to send his best officer on a suicide mission? Was there even a reason at all?

The mustache wearing officer opened the bottom left drawer of his desk and pulled out a square bottle of liquor and a glass. He popped the top and poured the glass full. He took a long swallow, allowing the bite of the liquor to calm his distressed mind. He hoped beyond all hope that his dear friend could pull off one of her miracles, because if she didn't, he was going to resign his commission and drink himself into an early grave.

* * *

The crimson haired dimensional traveler finally arrived on the shores of Sōla Prakāśa. It was a densely forested island that was several dozen miles Northwest of Bodhum and it had taken her quite a while to get there. Fortunately, she and Maqui had perfected the SCS, Spatial Compression System, for her bag and it even had a scanner to catalog all the items she put into it. The touch screen on the side lifted out as a hologram and allowed for easy and fast access to the items contained within...a must have for when fighting against monsters.

It didn't take her long to get her bearings. The hunter's camp that had been destroyed was on the opposite side of the islands and was inaccessible from the sea so she needed to trek through the forest to get there. She set out, making her way into the forest. She shivered when the wind blew against her bare legs and arms. The forest may have been lush and green and populated with something akin to pine trees, but snow covered the ground like a thick white blanket and the air was quite chilly.

She would have worn more environment appropriate clothing, but she was going up against a _Behemoth King_ and she was going to need every ounce of free movement ability she had to dodge its incredibly powerful attacks. She wasn't an idiot. She knew that this mission was going to be the most dangerous one she had ever undertaken. Amodar knew this as well…she could see it in his eyes. He didn't want her to go which meant that the orders came down from above.

The lieutenant would never send her on a mission this dangerous without any kind of backup on his own accord. The heavyset man cared too much about her and her sisters to ever jeopardize their lives in such a manner, but orders were orders and she was a soldier who followed orders.

She frowned slightly, wondering when she had become that way. All her life, she had played the good little girl, always doing as she was told and never making waves of any kind. She always tried to keep the domestic tranquility, even when she wanted to do nothing more than scream and yell and cry. She had sworn to herself that things would be different in this universe...a fresh start. How in the name of sanity did she revert back to her old habits?

She simply assumed that it was in the best interest of self-preservation to do what she was told, to stay out of trouble, and give others no reason to hate her or even question her. No one in the Bodhum Security Regiment could say that she was not dedicated to her work or passionate in her beliefs, but she had changed quite a lot since coming to the Final Fantasy XIII universe and she wasn't entirely sure if all the changes were good ones.

She was far more reserved than she once was and definitely more cautious. She was internalizing a lot of her deeper emotions, rarely letting them come to the surface if at all. Sure, she laughed and smiled and carried on with her friends and her adoptive sisters, but she had noticed that she was doing those things less and less as more time passed by. She hated to say it, but she beginning to act as a much more mellow version of Lightning and her sister was a hard ass that was emotionally distant on the best of days.

The only times when she was even remotely close to her old self was when she was with Hope. That boy had the uncanny ability to draw out her deeper emotions and simply made everything brighter by just being around. She had noticed that Snow had taken to organizing visits and vacations for Hope and his mother, Nora. He was always trying to get them to Bodhum or her to Pallumpolum. He just couldn't leave well enough alone...always had to be the hero even when there was no need for him to be a hero in regards to herself.

She sighed heavily as she climbed over a snow covered log, grimacing slightly at the coldness of the snow on her legs. She continued on her trek, keeping an eye out for monsters which were oddly lacking considering the size and density of the forest she was walking in. Perhaps the Behemoth King had scared away all the local monster life into hiding which did not bode well for the crimson haired woman.

Something that could inspire that level of primitive fear in monsters to make them instinctively run away from said beast meant that it was incredibly powerful and most likely, incredibly deadly. She would have to undoubtedly call on her magic to take the beast down and survive this suicide mission. She knew the consequences if she died here. Her journey would be over before it ever began and her sisters and friends would have to go through the whole thing on their own.

She couldn't do that to them, but a part of her was beginning to wonder if she would actually do any good. The Purge, Anima, Barthandelus, the Fal'Cie plan to destroy Cocoon to awaken the sleeping god, Bhunivelze, the events of Final Fantasy XIII-2, and the events of Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns…it just seemed so big, so huge. Could one person really make that much of a difference? More importantly, could one tiny little mortal like herself truly challenge the will of the Fal'Cie and even God himself?

Artz could admit to herself that she was beginning to have doubts…well more like she was gaining more doubts the closer she came to the Purge. Yes, she was scared, terrified that she could do or say the wrong thing and it all explode in her face. She could truly rip apart the timeline of this universe to the point where it could never be repaired. She could very well be the cause of Cocoon's destruction and in turn, the cause of this reality's ultimate demise.

When they say that the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a single individual, did they ever think to actually ask the person with said weight of responsibility if they actually wanted it? The stupid thing was she had actually agreed to come to this world for that very reason. God, she had been so naïve back then, so eager to help people and make things better, but she was just a soldier. She went where she was ordered to, did as she was told, and was the perfect officer.

She could feel anger building up inside of her, but she quickly squashed it into oblivion. Getting angry about the choices she made in the past would not do her any good in the present and in the present, she was hunting a lethal and dangerous beast that would not hesitate to kill her if she showed a moment of weakness and indecision. She was strong and she had trained hard to become strong, to make those around her proud, but there was a small part of her that still doubted that strength.

The doubt was based in a question. _Why did she want to be strong?_ She had initially said it was the only way for her to cope with the raw power resting deep inside of her. As time went by, she had altered that reason to wanting to be stronger to protect her friends and family. More time went by and that reason changed yet again to the desire to be strong enough to protect the people of Bodhum, but the truth of the matter was that she didn't remember what it was that made her strong to begin with.

Fang had commented on it many times when the ginger visited them in the vestige. She had said that the red head needed to make her body as strong as her heart, yet somewhere along the way, the crimson haired woman had forgotten what it was that had made her heart so strong. Ever since Gloria died last year, Artz had been trying to remember what it was that she drew her strength from but for the life of her, she couldn't seem to remember and that scared her more than anything.

After Gloria's warning, she had gone over her memories and discovered that the ones she held of her previous family and friends had become blurred, almost out of focus. She couldn't really remember how she felt towards any of them, but her memories of the games and the many shows and movies she had watched were still crystal clear. The memories she had made in this universe were sharp, clear cut, and refined with precision. She could remember every little detail, every emotion that she felt, and all the times she had shared with her new friends and family.

She shook her head, clearing her mind of those thoughts. Now was not the time to be evaluating these things. She needed to be careful, otherwise she was going to end up dead. She continued trekking through the forest until she came across a ruined camp. The buildings had been thoroughly demolished. There were deep grooves in the ground from both claws and what looked like a serrated blade. She also noticed the sporadic scorch marks on the ground.

She put two and two together and recalled that the Behemoth Kings of Gran Pulse were capable of using magic, particularly the high powered spells called _Thundara_ and _Thundaga_. They were AOE spells like _Fira_ and _Firaga_ , but they dealt lightning damage instead of fire damage and a lot of it, but the Behemoth Kings on Gran Pulse only used those spells when they were in their bipedal form. She wondered if it healed itself when it transformed like its Pulsian brethren or if it simply transformed like the _Lodestar Behemoth_.

She couldn't rule anything out at this point. She scoured the camp, noting the level of destruction, dispersal pattern of the debris, and the gouges in the ground. She followed the trail of destruction to the forest edge, noticing the broken limbs and the deepness of the paw prints left behind by the creature. She frowned as she saw how high the damage was in accordance to what she knew about the Behemoth King.

They weren't much larger than the _Feral Behemoth_ or even a normal behemoth. What was this thing eating to make it so much larger…steroids? Big, jumbo mushrooms from Super Mario Brothers? Maybe even the bone meal from Minecraft that made the mushrooms grow to be the size of trees? This mission could be even too much for her talents and that was something she could not easily admit.

She continued to track the creature, scanning the terrain and keep her ears open for any deviation that would allude to the location of her target. The minutes ticked by and she was becoming nervous. She had the very odd feeling that she was being watched. Even the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up on end. Her instincts were screaming at her that she was in danger.

A slight snap of a twig was the only warning she got before the very creature she had been hunting came barreling through the tree line behind her. She turned swiftly, her hands immediately reaching for her swords, but there wasn't enough time. In one swift motion and in a move she knew to be called _Hurl_ , the jagged edge of the blade on its head sliced through the front of her body, forcing her into the air.

She managed to recover and land on a tree branch, her right hand pressed to the front of her body. She immediately summoned her magic to heal herself and replenish the blood she had lost. How the hell had it snuck up on her? She jumped out of the tree and into another one when it knocked it over with brute force. She noticed the look in its eyes and her own eyes widened. There was no mistaking that gleam of intelligence.

It was actually capable of formulating basic strategies and learning from its opponent. That was when she noticed a few blinking lights along the sides of its body and along its underbelly. Oh crap! She was fighting a cybernetically enhanced Behemoth King! What the hell have those scientists been doing on this island…trying to build their own personal army of monsters?!

She jumped to another tree, only to fall out of it when the second tree fell into the one she had jumped to. She landed on the ground and barely managed to dodge the swipe from its right claw. She and the beast played a bit of a dodging game, but she knew that she would not be able to dodge forever. This thing had a hell of a lot more stamina than she did and it was learning from her, meaning that it would eventually discern exactly how she was going to move and when.

She had to think of a way to end this battle and quickly or she really was going to end up dead. She immediately went through her options. Attacking it head on was a very reckless idea and even if she could dodge its attacks at such close range, the battle would still take too long and it would most likely kill her. The second option would be to attempt to stagger it by using a combination of her swords and mana drive, but again, the thing was learning from her and would undoubtedly figure out a way to circumvent that…most likely, it would attempt to destroy her mana drive which in doing so, would cripple her dominant arm.

Her third option was to call on her own power, but she didn't have the physical strength to endure the level of power needed to completely obliterate the behemoth king in one shot. Hell, she wasn't sure she could do it in multiple shots. It took a great deal of concentration just to get her power to come to the surface and this thing was not about to give her the luxury of time to accumulate enough power even for a barrage of small projectiles.

Her fourth option was to go towards the town and gather allies to help her fight this thing, but in doing so, she would be endangering the lives of all the innocent people including the non combatants and even children which thoroughly ruled that out as a viable course of action. She ducked behind a tree when it used the _hurl_ move again and it completely uprooted the tree, sending it flying into the air. She made a bee line for a thicker patch of trees, hoping to limit its mobility and give her some more time to think.

Unfortunately, it didn't really slow down all that much and proceeded to rip its way towards her. Fear was now fully coursing through her system along with massive amounts of adrenaline. She kept dodging, but she was beginning to tire out and her movements were getting slower. She suffered a few blows from its claws, leaving deep bleeding gashes all across her body.

For the first time in her life, she was genuinely terrified. She was going to die here and she knew it, but for some reason, she wouldn't give up. She _couldn't_ give up, but why? Why couldn't she give up? What was so important that it would drive her to continue on even though she knew that her life would inevitably end and painfully too?

The behemoth king performed the _hurl_ move again and sliced her back wide open, sending her into the air once more. This time though…something was different. She caught sight of the blue box that hung from her favorite necklace. It floated up into the air and shined in the sunlight. Her mind filled with memories of a man…a man with thirteen different faces. That man with all those different faces was the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet, Gallifrey.

He traveled through time and space in his bigger on the inside blue box called a _TARDIS_ ; Time And Relative Dimension In Space. He went on countless adventures and had so many companions. He saved the Earth, the whole human race countless times. He saved people and planets, whole galaxies, the universe, time itself and even the infinite number of parallel worlds that existed alongside his own, including her own.

He had been a soldier like her once…during the Time War. That war waged across the whole of time and space; every star was under attack. He had to make a choice; either he killed his own people or watch the universe burn. Instead he found a third option and saved both his people and the universe, but for a long time, he thought he destroyed his home, his planet, his family and friends, and every other Time Lord in existence.

Even with that terrible burden on his shoulders, he never once gave up. He kept going even though all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and let the universe pass him by. He made a promise when he chose his name and it was the same promise she made when she had chosen her name, Artz…a word that meant Doctor.

' _Never cruel of cowardly, never give up, never give in.'_

Of all the things to have forgotten, why…why did she forget her promise, _his promise_? She wasn't a soldier. She was never meant to be a soldier. She never followed orders. She always did what she thought was right and damned the consequences. She always spoke her mind and never sugar coated anything or minced words for the sake of politeness. She was honest and upfront, willful and independent, kind and compassionate, understanding and fiercely loyal.

She was not a soldier, she was not a warrior, she was not a hero, and she most certainly was not a saint. She wasted all that time searching for something she had always known. She had forgotten for a time, but now…now she remembered. She remembered who she was and she would never let herself forget again.

At her very core, the core of her soul… _she was a doctor_. She saved people. She was going to save the world, but first…she needed to save herself.

She flipped midair and headed straight back at the Behemoth King. Her power surged through her system, making not only her eyes glow blue but her body as well. She channeled the strength of her mind, body, heart and soul into her attack and collided with the beast's back. It let out a deafening roar as her power ripped it apart until nothing was left. Even the remnants of its body dissolved into ash.

She shakily rose to her feet, her body drained of energy. Her wounds were still bleeding profusely, her life essence dripping onto the ground. She put one foot in front of the other, her blood staining the once pure white snow a deep crimson. She needed to reach the town before she passed out from blood loss. She didn't even know how she was moving her body at all. Perhaps it was her stubborn will or the promise of her name that kept her feet moving.

Her vision began to darken, but she refused to give in now. The Doctor never gave up and neither did she. She tripped on a root concealed under the snow and she landed on the ground with an audible thud.

"Damn it…get up. You will not die here." She grit out, her body trembling from the amount of effort it was taking to get off the ground.

She slipped in the snow and fell back down. She tried to move, but her body didn't respond to her mental demands. Her eyes closed against her wishes and she was mentally cursing at herself. Her mind went blank when she felt someone turn her over so that she was lying on her back. Who the heck was with her and what were they going to do to her?

To her surprise, the mysterious person simply picked her up bridal style and began to carry her. She could tell from the flat chest she was cradled to that the person that was carrying her was male. Her ears picked up the sounds of his footfalls and she gathered that he was roughly six feet tall, give or take an inch or two. He was also wearing some kind of metal on his chest and forearms…armor?

Her mind put the pieces together rather quickly and she audibly gasped.

"Benedict." She said her voice barely audible.

There was a deep baritone rumbling from his neck and chest and she realized that he was laughing or at least chuckling.

"My lady." He replied a bit of humor in his voice.

"I thought that…" She started.

"Do not speak, my lady. You must conserve what little strength you have left, otherwise I will be unable to maintain my physical form long enough to get you the medical attention you require." He interrupted.

She immediately quieted down with a small huff of annoyance. She finally had the chance to speak to him and she couldn't or she would bleed to death. She heard the deep baritone chuckle rumbling in his chest again and she found that she rather liked the sound. She tried to keep herself awake, but she was tired…more like completely exhausted and she was getting even more exhausted by the second.

Her groggy mind soon realized that it was because her dark warrior was physically manifested as opposed to being inside of her. That required a lot of energy to maintain and she vaguely remembered the Goddess commenting on that in the memory Benedict had showed her after she was kidnapped.

Soon, much sooner than she would have liked, her loyal and kind dark warrior set her down on some kind of flat, stone surface. She was quickly losing the strength to remain conscious and she felt him lean down, his mouth close to her right ear. He whispered something in her ear, his presence fading into nothingness, and she slipped into the darkness of obliviousness.

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it! Chapter Sixteen: Crisis of Faith is over and done! Whew! This chapter was really hard to get out, mainly because of all the interruptions I had while typing it, but also because I honestly had no clear picture of how it was going to turn out. I hope it's okay.

Brief Side Note: Sōla Prakāśa is Nepali for Soul Revelation.

Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Seventeen: Memories! Stay Tuned!


	18. Chapter 17: Memories

Lady Artz: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XIII story, _Star of Hope_! I am incredibly sorry for the long wait, but I got sucked into some Yu Yu Hakusho stories and couldn't find my way out for a while.

Hope: For a while there, I thought you were not coming back.

Lady Artz: I'm so sorry, Hope, but I'll always come back to you.

Hope: *smiles* I know.

Lady Artz: Right then, this chapter will take place from several view points, because it's mainly the other characters remembering stuff like specific memories.

Hope: Hence the title of this chapter.

Lady Artz: Correct as always.

Hope: Can I do the disclaimer?

Lady Artz: I don't see why not. I'm sure the readers are tired of hearing me talk anyways.

Hope: *chuckles* Readers, Lady Artimes Blaine does not own Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. She also doesn't own anything she makes references to or any quotes from her favorite shows and games. She only owns her original character, Artz, and the insanity that follows in her wake.

Lady Artz: Insanity, huh? Good way of putting it.

Lady Artz/Hope: *glance at each other and smile* On with the show!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Memories

* * *

Lightning Farron, recently promoted to Sergeant First Class, never expected to find her commanding officer, Lieutenant Amodar, to be drowning himself in liquor in his office. The look on his face spoke volumes and was only compounded by the fact that he was holding the silver framed picture of her and her sisters.

"Sir?" She asked softly, worry beginning to gnaw at her insides.

"Artz is in the hospital." He started never looking away from the picture, "She's in a coma."

Lightning's eyes widened in shock.

"What happened?" She asked her voice becoming deadly calm.

"Orders from above. Sent her on a solo mission. I never should have let her go." He answered his handing tightening on the frame.

The force he exerted on the frame cracked the glass, the snap resonating through the small office. Her sister had been sent on a mission by herself with no back up, no extraction team, and little to no chances of survival. She survived, but was in a coma. Her commanding officer looked like he was drowning in guilt and in the process of grieving.

Lightning lost control of her anger and walked around the desk. She pulled the frame from his hands, forcing him to look up at her. She slapped him hard, the sound echoing off the walls.

"You fool! She isn't dead! She's too stubborn for that and if she finds out that you've been drinking the whole time, she's going to rip you to shreds! So get your head out of that bottle and come with me to the hospital!" She yelled her eyes blazing.

He simply nodded, rising to his feet. He staggered a bit, but managed to catch his balance. The duo left the room and headed to the hospital. Upon arrival, Lightning was reunited with her sister, Serah, who started crying the moment she was in the elder Farron's arms. The soldier then noticed the members of NORA were all present as were Snow, Nora and Hope. Sazh was also in attendance, his son, Dajh, asleep in his arms.

She managed to extract herself from her younger sister, passing her off to her boyfriend. She then walked to the nurse's station and they pointed her in the direction of Artz's room. She walked in and passed the privacy curtain. Her eyes widened, seeing her sister hooked up to machinery; an IV, a heart monitor, a breathing machine, along with several kinds of machinery that was scanning her brain and other cerebral functions.

The ginger's injuries were bandaged and she was doing a good impression of a mummy. Her heartbeat was slow but steady. Lightning took a closer look at the screen on the left side of the bed. Her sister's mind was active, almost like she was dreaming. She looked back down at the ginger haired woman, a feeling of guilt beginning to burn inside her stomach, but she quickly squashed it.

Artz would be upset with her if she started blaming herself for not being there to help. She knew better than to incite her sister's wrath. The red head could be rather terrifying when she wanted to be. There had been only one instance where she had lost her temper and that had been when one of her comrades had turned against them. The amount of fury rolling off of the ginger that day had made the elder Farron freeze in place, along with their other comrades.

The Thunder Legion, men who had fought by their sides on many occasions, became privy to a very specific secret that day…Artz's magic. Her eyes had glowed with power as did her body. The betrayal had not only broken the ginger's trust, but had hit her at her very core. It ignited a fury so deep that her power had exploded from her physical form, destroying everything in its path with the exception of those she called friends.

The man who had caused her rage had been utterly terrified as the red head walked towards him, her power swirling around her and making her appear as a vengeful goddess. Lightning had thought for certain that Artz was going to kill him, but she simply knelt down, looked into his eyes, and said 'I never would. Have you got that? I…never…would.' She just walked away and allowed the Thunder Legion to take him into custody.

That day had changed the crimson haired woman. She became much more reserved and the elder Farron hated to admit, but her sister had become more like a veteran soldier. It was the first time that Lightning had regretted Artz enlisting in the Guardian Corps. She honestly felt like she had broken her sister on some level that couldn't be repaired.

"What are you dreaming about, Artz?" She asked quietly.

A bleep on the machine made her eyes widen. There was a spike on the graph, one signifying recognition. She looked back at her comatose sister.

"Come back to us, Artz. We need…I need you." She spoke softly, a barely discernible trace of desperation in her voice.

* * *

 _The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz Farron looked up at the star filled sky of her dreamscape._

" _Come back to us, Artz. We need…I need you." Lightning's voice whispered on the wind._

" _I'm sorry, Clare, but I'm not ready yet. I've changed so much by coming to this world. There are things that I must reclaim before I can come home to you_ , _so please…hold on for a little while longer. I'll come back…I'll come back to you." Artz replied knowing that her sister couldn't hear her voice._

 _She then turned her gaze from the starry night to her dark haired companion._

" _We've got work to do." She stated her voice filled with determination._

* * *

The dark skinned pilot known as Sazh Katzroy sat in a slumped position, his heart breaking. He had only just lost his wife last year. Now he was about to lose his best friend, the godmother of his son, and the only pillar of strength he had left in his life. He felt like he had the weight of the whole planet on his shoulders. How he hadn't buckled under that kind of stress was beyond him.

He looked down at the little boy in his arms. His son…his precious little boy had told him that everything was going to be fine. Dajh insisted that his godmother would be alright and that she needed some time to find herself again. Sazh didn't understand how his son could be so optimistic when faced with death. He blamed it totally on Artz's influence. She didn't believe in no-win situations and his son said that his godmother could do the impossible.

Sazh wanted so badly to believe that she'll pull through, that she'll be okay, but after losing Gloria, he was just too much a realist. Life had slapped him in the face then sucker punched him for good measure and made him realize that people can and will die. There was nothing he could do to stop. He couldn't change anything.

In the back of his mind, a memory niggled. He allowed the memory to come to the forefront of his mind. It was a memory of happier days.

* * *

 _The crimson haired dimensional traveler walked by his side as they headed to the local beach bar called NORA House._

" _Life is life, Artz. It's a bitch, but there it is." He stated continuing their disagreement._

" _Pain and loss define us as much as happiness or love. We grow and mature from the good experiences as well as the bad. Each event shapes us into who we are in the future. It's all about free will, Sazh. We can make a better future so long as we don't give up." She replied smiling at him._

" _I'm all for changing things, but I'm only one person. I can't change something as massive as an apocalypse!" He responded his more practical side showing._

 _The ginger haired woman giggled at his antics._

" _Sazh, every individual has the power to effect change whether it be good or bad. After all, I was brought to this world to change things. I am here to save the world from the very apocalypse you speak of and yet I am only one person. So long as you believe you can change things, you will." She countered a knowing look in her eyes._

 _He stared at her a long time, searching her eyes for any shred of doubt. After what seemed like an eternity, he found that she didn't doubt herself or her mission. She believed everything that she said and so much more. She honestly believed that she could change the future for the better and all on her own if she had to. Her faith was so strong and it made him want to be strong too._

" _Alright, kiddo. I'll help you change the future." He stated firm in his resolve._

 _She smiled brightly at him, her sapphire eyes sparkling with happiness._

" _Together, we can do anything." She replied just as determined as he was._

* * *

Nora Estheim, mother of Hope Estheim, watched helplessly as her son paced the length of the waiting room. Ever since Artz had entered her coma, Hope had felt completely lost like he was adrift in the middle of a storm. Nora knew what it was, how could she not. Artz was buried deep within herself, so deep that even her son could reach her through their shared bond.

To be perfectly honest, she was feeling rather guilty. The last night of their vacation, she had a dream. She had been in a place that looked like a crumbling yet incomplete temple of some sorts. She had been greeted by a figure enshrouded by a luminescent mist. The figure had told her that the dimensional traveler's greatest trial was coming and that Nora and her son had to leave. The figure said that the ginger had to face this trial alone and the silver haired woman had nearly pitched a fit.

The figure understood why Nora wanted to remain, but if she and Hope had stayed to help the crimson haired woman then she would be dead right now. They all would have died and Artz would never have discovered what she had lost, dooming their world to ultimate destruction. It had been the hardest decision that the silver haired woman had ever had to make. Now her son was paying the price. She could only hope that Artz would forgive her for letting her go through this alone.

Nora inhaled sharply as a memory invaded her thoughts.

* * *

 _The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz was currently sitting across from her, a look of sorrow and pain etched on her features._

" _She knew, Nora. Gloria knew that she was going to die long before the doctors told her. She even knew me without ever having seen me before." The ginger said softly._

" _I'm certain Sazh had a big part in her knowing you." Nora replied._

 _The red head shook her head._

" _That's not what I mean. The Goddess came to her in a dream. The same night that Hope and the others dreamed of me. The Goddess told her that she and I would meet only once…on the day she died. She knew for years that she was going to die, but she never let that keep her from living life to the fullest. She warned me about something in my future, my greatest trial. Something I have to do alone." Artz countered._

" _Why? Why must you do it alone? There are so many people who would help you; me, Hope, Snow, your sisters, Sazh, and the members of NORA. We would help you!" The silver haired woman demanded angry at the Goddess._

" _I think that the only way for me to face the future is to go through this trial. I have to face my inner demons, so I can save the world." The red head replied softly._

" _But why do you have to do it alone?" Nora asked a pleading edge to her tone._

" _You know me, Nora. I focus first on others then myself. If anyone was with me, I'd be too focused on them to really take good long look at myself. I think that this is what the trial is all about. I've got to dig deep and figure me out before I even think about trying to change the future." The crimson haired woman answered calmly._

" _I don't want you to be alone." The silver haired woman stated softly, her eyes showing deep worry._

" _Whatever this trial entails, I'll get through it. Just take care of Hope. So long as he's okay, I can get through anything." Artz replied._

" _Come back to us…please." Nora requested relenting at last._

" _Always." The dimensional traveler promised._

* * *

The silver haired woman wasn't the only one watching the young Estheim. The leader of NORA and Artz's best friend watched as the boy paced. A lost Hope didn't bode well for them, but it paled in comparison to a panicked Hope. Snow would never forget what happened on the boat back to Pallumpolum.

Hope had been restless since he had woken up that morning. He had stared out at the waves, looking like the world was about to implode. When the NORA leader had approached him, the young Estheim had informed that Artz was on edge, nervous even. Snow never once doubted the connection Hope and Artz shared and asked the silver haired boy what else he felt.

The boy told him that the dimensional traveler was conflicted like she was being pulled in many directions, trying to understand something very important. When Hope tensed, he said Artz was getting scared. Hope's eyes became dull and distant like he was a thousand miles away. He kept talking, relaying the ginger's emotions. At one point, the young Estheim began to cry, the tears sliding down his face.

Hope began to calm, Artz's emotions settling at the same time, but then the connection snapped and the silver haired boy screamed. He collapsed into Snow's arms, completely out cold. He woke up the next day and demanded to be taken back to Bodhum immediately…that Artz was in danger, possibly dying. After a few threats to the Captain of the boat and call from Lieutenant Amodar, the boat returned to Bodhum.

Snow would never forget the look on Hope's face when he saw the crimson haired dimensional traveler being wheeled into the operating room. Never in his life had the blond haired man seen the boy look so broken…like his world had just shattered. It had taken him and Nora hours to coax him back into reality and then he started pacing…and he kept on pacing. He hadn't stopped the entire time, not even when Lightning showed up.

Snow came to the very real conclusion that Hope was truly lost without Artz and he had a feeling that same could be said in reverse. Without Hope, Artz would be lost. The irony was not lost on him. Artz was their world's hope for a better future and the boy named Hope was her hope…ironic indeed.

* * *

 _The crimson haired dimensional traveler looked up at the star filled sky, sensing the young Estheim's plight._

" _Hope." She whispered, "Be strong, have hope, because I'm coming back. Hold on a little longer."_

* * *

Hope's head snapped up as he abruptly stopped pacing. All eyes in the waiting room focused on him as the others paused, holding their breath. The silver haired boy smiled slightly, the tension melting from his body. The boy looked at his friends, his eyes holding absolutely certainty.

"She's gonna be okay." He stated with confidence.

The stress filled atmosphere suddenly deflated into a comfortable silence, all in attendance trusting the young Estheim's words without hesitation. If Hope believed that she would be fine then they believed him. He, better than anyone else, would know, because his bond with her, as unexplainable as it might be, was unquestionable.

* * *

The members of the monster hunting group called NORA slouched in their seats after Hope's announcement. Each of them had been scared out of their minds that Artz was going to die. Lebreau had been the first one at the hospital since she had been the closest. She had called in the others shortly before Snow, Hope, and Nora had arrived, but seeing the red head all carved up and covered in blood…the image had chilled her to the core.

The dark haired woman was strong, stronger than most her age, and confident as well, but this had really rattled her. The ginger haired woman had become a beacon of light in a Fal'Cie driven world and it had almost been snuffed out. Lebreau hadn't realized just how much she had come to love the red head until she had seen rolled into hospital, looking like death warmed over. She was certain that she was going to have nightmares about this for a very long time.

* * *

Maqui and Yuj were leaning against each other in relief. The dimensional traveler was like a sister to them and they had nearly lost her. When they arrived, Artz was already out of the operating room, covered in bandages and gauze, and hooked up to machinery. Maqui nearly broke down at how lifeless she appeared to be and Yuj had to pull him away then hold onto him so he wouldn't descend into hysteria.

Maqui cared deeply for the crimson haired woman and shared a much deeper bond with her than Yuj. The woman had been the first person to truly understand him and all his quirks and techno babble. His heart clung to her every word, her every smile, her every laugh. It had taken her being put in this condition for him to realize that he didn't just see Artz as a dear friend, not just as a sister, but more like a mother…the mother he never had.

He hadn't told his blue haired friend about it yet. He was still coming to terms with this revelation and he wasn't certain that he could put it into words just yet. He wanted cry, to scream, to throw things, but instead he kept it all inside. He couldn't disappoint her and she would be upset with him if he broke something he shouldn't have.

"It's okay, Maqui. She's like a mom to you. I get it, I do." Yuj said quietly.

The blonde's head snapped up to look at his friend with wide eyes.

"I figured it out a while ago…even if you hadn't. You made a good choice. She's a great mom." The blue haired boy continued.

Maqui's eyes began to fill with tears.

"The best." He concurred smiling at his long time friend.

* * *

The fiery haired shock trooper of NORA leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He had seen the exchange between Yuj and Maqui, knowing it had been a long time coming. Anyone with eyes could tell that the blonde techie saw the ginger as his mother and Gadot had to agree that red head was an excellent mother. He'd seen her enough times with Sazh's boy, Dajh, to know that without any doubt whatsoever.

He remembered one time in particular. She had been telling the little boy about Nautilus, the city of dreams. The shock trooper remembered how Dajh's face had lit up when she started talking about the chocobos. That kid was obsessed with those overgrown yellow birds. He remembered how she and Sazh promised that they would go to Nautilus one day and see the chocobos. Dajh never looked so happy. He spent the rest of the days talking about the big yellow birds and Gadot smiled softly at the memory.

* * *

 _The ginger haired dimensional traveler giggled as a herd of chocobos materialized in her dreamscape. They stampeded through the open space, kwehing loudly and nuzzling up to her. Her dark haired companion smiled, a soft look in his pale blue eyes._

" _Guess someone is thinking about chocobos out there." Artz commented._

" _I hate to interrupt your fun, my lady, but time is of the essence." Her companion stated his baritone voice barely reaching her over the ruckus the chocobos were making._

 _She pouted at him and he chuckled._

" _You're such a spoilsport, Benedict." She complained as the chocobos vanished from her dreamscape._

" _The sooner you finish here, the sooner you can return to them." He reminded._

 _She let out a sigh, knowing he was right._

" _Back to work then." She replied glancing briefly at the starry sky above her, "Soon, guys, soon."_

* * *

Days passed by and still they waited. The ginger's birthday came and went, causing everyone to become depressed. They had wanted to throw her a big party at NORA House, but their hopes were dashed. More days passed and soon it had been almost a month since she fell into a coma.

Lightning sat at the ginger's bed side and when she couldn't, Serah was there in her place. As fortune would have it, both sisters were present when the red head's hand twitched. The sisters waited with baited breath for any other signs of movement. Suddenly, there was a deep rumbling growl from the ginger's stomach, indicating that she was hungry.

They were so shocked by the noise that they accidentally laughed, even Lightning had a let out a small chuckle. Both sisters had been busy being amused by the sound that they didn't notice when her eyes open. They both were surprised when she started moving her hands towards her face, trying to remove the oxygen mask.

The sisters scurried to help her and even disconnected most of the others machinery so she didn't feel uncomfortable. Once free, she tried to speak but ended up making a strange croaking sound. Serah immediately rushed to get a glass of water and the sisters helped her sit up and drink the cool fluid. Once she was properly hydrated, she smiled at them.

"Sorry I was delayed, traffic was a bitch." She stated with a smirk.

She was immediately glomped by Serah who started crying from relief. The elder Farron ruffled the ginger's hair, making the red head pout at her childishly and earning a small smile from the pink haired woman. To Lightning's credit, she did not jump like Serah did when Artz let out a shout.

"Ollie-ollie-oxen-free!" The red head shouted.

A herd of footsteps was heard before the ginger's room was invaded by nine people. There was a round questions, comments, relieved outbursts, and even some threats, but she had expected nothing else from her family. Eventually the doctors and nurse shooed everyone out of the room, including the sisters so they could perform a checkup. The doctors came to the consensus that she was going to need a few weeks of physical therapy before she could be released from the hospital, much to her chagrin because she loathed hospitals with a passion.

* * *

Lieutenant Amodar finally paid her a visit and the crimson haired woman glared at him.

"One: you've been drinking again, two: I never want to be sent out on a mission like that ever again, and three: you could have warned me that the Behemoth King was cybernetically enhanced!" She scolded looking properly livid.

"I wasn't aware…" He started.

"Bullshit! You knew damn well and sent me anyways because the orders came from on high!" She interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Artz. If it were up to me, I never would have sent you out there alone, but Raines…" He started again.

"Raines. Why am I not surprised?" She hissed her eyes flashing in anger, "That does not mean I'm not cross at you for trying to drink yourself into a stupor!"

"Sergeant Second Class Farron…" He started once more, his voice holding an authoritative tone.

"Piss off!" She spat defiance burning in her eyes, "I'm not a soldier. I'm a doctor and I bow to no one. Not to you, not to Raines, not to the Sanctum, and certainly not the Fal'Cie!"

At this remark, the lieutenant smiled, thoroughly confusing the ginger haired woman. Why the hell was he smiling that?

"You are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and once released you will pick out your squad, train them, and kick monsters ass." He stated pride in his eyes.

She blinked at him, having not expected to skip a few levels in rank.

"Why do you seem happy that I'm back to being a royal pain in the ass?" She asked her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

He turned and walked towards the door, pausing briefly to look back at her.

"You were an excellent soldier, but it's not who you are." He answered.

"And who am I?" She asked already knowing what he was going to say.

"A doctor, an exceptional one at that." He answered leaving the room.

The crimson haired dimensional traveler smiled, her mind remembering what her dark haired warrior had whispered in her ear before she fell into a coma.

' _The Doctor's Artz_.'

* * *

Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Seventeen: Memories! Whew! It's finally over. I had absolutely no idea how this was going to come out. I hope it didn't come across as choppy or forced. Anyways, leave tons and tons of reviews and on the lookout for Chapter Eighteen: Artz's Day Off! Stay tuned!


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